Remnant's Time
by NaniRoxy
Summary: An average bullied school kid one day comes home to see he is the Tamer of two Remnants, the continueing life after Nobodies. Even weirder, he's the Tamer of Axel and Roxas! Now he must learn to use his Tamer abilities as things go to chaos around him!R
1. Chapter 1: Nobody's Home

Remnant's Time

Chapter One: Nobody's Home

The Rain came down hard. Lightning flashed a crossed the sky revealing two small beings, weary and amazed to still be alive. After all they've been through, they weren't done yet. The red head carried the other one slowly a crossed the side walk, barely making any progress. The blond one was asleep, or more like unconscious. His arm was around his friend's shoulders and his head was limp. The red head let go of the hand around his shoulder to stroke the blonde's head, his other one wrapped around the blonde's waist, as he stopped and whispered into his ear.

"Don't worry, help will come. I'll get us to safety." He gently cooed to his unlistening ears. He looked up at the sky with burning green eyes. "I'll find him. I'll find our Tamer..."

The rain pounded against the world around him as he ran for home. Koji Adams had just finished the school day and it was now a race for his right to live another day. Zeek Wells and his evil minions Chris Graves and Dustin Miller were after him for his weekly pounding. They took great pride in their work and did a good job at tracking people down. Koji just wished they had no clue where he was today. Of course he was wrong, as always.

"Why look at this! Do we have a runner?" Zeek said in a haunting voice. His friends snickered. They both knew Koji was in for it, especially since he had tried to run. The whole student body knew if you ran when you were picked you had it ten times worse.

Koji took a step back. "Oh hello Zeek. How are you today?"

"Better than you're going to be." Zeek laughed. He gave his goons a nod. They grabbed Koji by his arms and lifted him up. They both had a large build and Zeek was tall and tough. Koji looked away from him. Zeek grabbed Koji's head and forced him to look into his eyes. A dull green and empty of emotion. "We'll teach what happens when you run."

The house's door let out a soft creak as it was slowly pushed open. Koji walked in and threw his backpack on the ground and sighed. He held his arm tightly to his side to numb the pain. "Figures..." He breathed as he walked over to the kitchen. He got a soda and before he could open it he heard a noise. Koji put the soda down and picked up the broom. Zeek must've got inside for more. He crept over to the stairs and raised his broom.

It all happened in few seconds. A small animal came running around the corner and Koji decided not to swing. The small defenseless animal then cried "Don't swing!" Koji than smacked it from the shock of being talked to by an animal. It sent the thing skidding a crossed the living room floor.

Koji slowly walked towards it and gasped. This tiny thing looked exactly like a character from a video game him and his best friend Harry played all the time. It probably stood about four inches tall was literally a chibi cartoon character. He let out a groan as he sat up and rubbed his head. His hair spiked unnaturally back and was a vivid red color. He had triangular like markings under his eyes and his eyes were a bright green.

"What was that for?" He said softly.

Koji was shocked. "You're... You are..." Koji shook his head, trying to figure out if it was a dream or not. "...A Nobody?" He decided to ask first. At least he could figure out if this was the same guy or not.

"No." He said and Koji was relieved, until he heard what he said next. "Not anymore. I'm a Remnant. You're my Tamer Koji." He held out his hand to shake his but Koji only backed away.

"A what? I'm what?"

"A Remnant and Your a Tamer. Got it memorized?" He said irritably.

Koji knelt down next to him. "Your Axel... right?"

Axel nodded, looking rather happy that he knew him.

Koji couldn't take it anymore. "What the fro happened!? You like four inches tall! I thought you were at least taller than me!"

Axel took a few steps back as his face grew red. "Wha--!? It's a... minor... problem..."

"Minor!?" Koji pressed.

"Hey, it's not like I'm like this cause I want to be! I would totally go for the taller person I once was but nooo!" He said raising and dropping his tone with the word no. "I have to be this small little guy without his Nobody powers and the only way I can return to normal is with a Tamer. If that wasn't bad enough, I can only stay like that for a short while!"

"Calm down Axel." A new voice soothed. They both looked over and Koji wasn't surprised. Why not.

"Hey Roxas! Explain to this bone head what's going on!" Axel gave motion for him to come over.

He took a step but then backed up a few paces. "I'll come over if you drop that weapon your holding." Roxas said, pointing at Koji.

"I'm what now?" Koji asked.

"Drop the stick of doom nimrod." Axel growled. Koji obediently dropped the stick.

Roxas nodded. Then he walked up to Axel and put a hand on his shoulder. "Axel, I don't think anyone's going to pick up on this very easily." He said with a sigh. Then Roxas looked up at Koji. "A Remnant is basically what's left of a Nobody. What remains, hence the name Remnant, but we did gain our own hearts back so it's not like we're the bad guys anymore. We can change back to our normal selves, like Axel said before but there's a catch..."

"It's only temporary." Koji finished.

Roxas smiled. "Yup. To do that we need a Tamer's help, which would be you."

"Me... right..." Koji expression went blank. "I knew it. A dream. I'm dreaming."

Axel suddenly started laughing which made Koji jump. "Can't wait to see your face tomorrow! Man, I got to get a camera!"

"Wait, so I'm not dreaming?"

"No, your not."

A breath of air escaped Koji's lips. He felt like he should be shocked. Instead he was just numb inside. He didn't know what to think. "So how am I supposed to help you exactly?"

"That," Axel started. "I don't know. We kind of thought you would know. Vexen's reports said it should come naturally for a Tamer."

Koji let himself fall back. "Well I guess we wait till the right time." A knock then came from the door. "Someone's here!" Koji yelled out. "Hide yourselves!"

The two Remnants looked around but didn't move. "Where?"

Koji groaned and picked them up as the person allowed themselves in. Koji threw them in his pockets at the knick of time.

"Why hello Winter." He greeted. The evil neighbor girl was always pranking him.

"Where are your parents, Koji?" She asked.

"Away..."

Winter came over and started measuring Koji. Then she scribbled down a few notes and continued. "Ah... what are you doing?" He asked.

"Shut up." She snapped and wrote down some more notes. Then with a satisfied grin she walked outside. Koji watched the spot where she disappeared until a voice cut through his thoughts.

"Who's that?"

Koji jumped and muttered. "An evil girl who lives next to me, that's all."

Axel's head poked out of his pocket. "And you let her measure you?"

Shrugging, Koji whispered, "Oh well."

Winter soon came back in and took his toaster and walked out. "I'm taking this." She said.

"Hey! Why do you want my toaster!?"

Winter looked over to him and stared at him with a calm glare. "What toaster? You never had one." Without giving Koji a chance to answer back she walked out of the room.

Koji stood there for a second, trying to figure out what her next mastermind plan was. "Jeeze... I have a feeling I'm not going to like this one."

Axel poked his head out of his pocket again. "And I have a feeling I'm not going to enjoy this either."

Just then another face poked through the doorway. His brown hair was plastered down from the rain and his blue eyes looked slightly bigger from his dorky, round glasses. "Koji? Are you okay? When I saw winter with that toaster, I knew something terrible happened."

Koji put his hands out in front of him, palms facing the new kid. "You got it wrong. Winter took it from me. I have no idea what's going to happen."

"Pst! Koji! Who that?" Axel tried to ask discretely. To his dismay, it wasn't as quiet as he thought.

"Whoa? Did your pocket just talk to you?" He jumped back and then walked up to Koji to investigate.

"Hmm?" Koji looked up at him with a blank stare. "Oh, this is Axel!" Koji fished into his pocket and brought a flailing Remnant out by his hood.

He mouthed the word 'wow' and Axel waved his arms around. "You can't just show me to everyone! It's got to be kept secret!"

"Oh, keep things on the down low! Don't worry! I'm Harry, Koji's best friend! There's not one secret I've told about Koji!"

Axel crossed his arms and let himself go limp in Koji's grasp. Roxas took his turn of revealing himself. "Come on Axel, He has a friend. There's not one thing you wouldn't tell me, is there?"

"I guess... He mumbled.

Koji pointed at Harry. "Axel, Roxas, this is Harry. His dad works at a DNA lab and his mom is a researcher in Canada." Then he pointed at Roxas. "This is Roxas. Axel and Roxas are both Remnants."

Harry straightened himself out and looked Koji in the eye. "What... are Remnants?"


	2. Chapter 2: A Game of Tag

Chapter Two: A Game of Tag

No matter how much Koji resisted, the Remnants were set on going to school with him. It started out like a normal morning. Koji slammed down on his alarm with a sleepy hand. He rolled over to check the time and fell out. Trying to save himself from the monster that had wrapped himself around him, Koji ended up waking the Remnants. They watched him struggle with his covers for a while. Finally Koji began to wake up and realize that it was only his own bed.

"It's not funny." He grumbled at his two new 'friends' that were now rolling around, laughing. "Shut up!" He yelled angrily and stomped out of his room.

"That's something I'll enjoy waking up to any day!" Axel said between his laughter.

Roxas glanced at the clock. "Wha--? It's five in the morning? Why would he want to wake up this early?"

"School." Koji mumbled from his doorway. His black hair was sticking out in unimaginable angles and he seemed to have completely forgotten about what had happened a few seconds ago.

"Oh yeah! How could I forget about something like that?" Roxas gently hit his head with his palm with a 'no brainer' manner.

Morning was slow for Koji. He got everything done and was about to leave when his Remnants came and told him of their own plans.

"You want to what!?"

"Go with you." Roxas said, his arms crossed a crossed his chest. He wasn't joking. "It's a Remnant's job to protect their Tamer. How are we supposed to do that while you're at school if we can't come?"

"I don't need your help! It's hard enough without two four inched people trying to help me!"

"So there _**is**_ need of us after all." said Axel.

"Stop twisting my words like that! I can do this by my self! No help from miniature Nobodies!"

"We're not Nobodies anymore! We're Remnants!"

"Whatever!" Koji flung his hands up in the air. "You're not coming even if you were my Aunt Sally!"

A shout came from upstairs. "Koji, is anything wrong?"

"No Mom!" He yelled back.

There was a pause and then his mom spoke again. "Well come up here and close the door for me!"

Koji let out a harsh sigh and dropped his backpack on the kitchen floor. Koji walked upstairs grumbling to himself about lazy parents. Axel and Roxas looked at each other. A wide grin spread itself a crossed both of their faces. When Koji came back down stairs he saw the bus driving pulling up to his driveway. "Oh snap!!!" He yelled as he picked up his backpack and ran out to the bus that had started to drive away.

Koji walked up to Harry who was busy typing on his laptop. "Hi Harry!" Said two more voices than was needed.

"You two dirty stow aways!" Koji yelled and pulled out the Remnants from his backpack. "I said stay home! Why don't you listen to me!?"

Axel shrugged. "Kicks?"

"Guh!" Koji dropped them.

"Ow! Why'd you do that?" Roxas asked, rubbing his back.

Koji ignored him.

Harry closed his laptop and adjusted his glasses. "Hard morning?"

"They won't stop following me!" He whined.

Harry laughed and put his arm around Koji. "Well you are their Tamer."

Koji hung his head. "Yeah but I didn't ask for this!"

Axel got up and hid under Koji pant leg. "Big ugly guy! Six o' clock!"

"Hey nerds!" A deep and semi-intelligent voice called out. Dustin Miller.

Koji quickly picked up Roxas and Axel and shoved them into his coat pockets. "Oh, heh, heh, heh... what's up?"

"You, when Zeek gets here!" Dustin put his beefy hands together. "Chris doesn't like it when you cheat like that."

"Cheat! Who's cheating! I simply told him to look at something and he let me go!"

Dustin punched a hand against the wall behind him. Dust sprinkled itself onto Koji's head. "Yeah! Then you ran home like a baby before Zeek could teach you a lesson about running."

Harry looked at Koji with a look of pure horror. "You ran from Zeek!? Twice in the same day!?"

Chris came around the corner and walked up to Dustin's side. "Yes he did and because of that you won't get your pounding of the day. Instead, Koji will get both beatings and extra for running!" Chris and Dustin started laughing.

It didn't matter how, but both Axel and Roxas knew they had to do something, regardless of the fact they were both four inches tall. Koji's fear was pounding through both of their blood and they had to do whatever they could to stop them.

Zeek walked up behind Chris and Dustin and gave him a smile. Harry slowly backed away, mouthed a sorry and then ran away from the scene that was going to give him nightmares for the rest of his life. "Hold still and it'll be over before you know it." Zeek smirked.

Chris and Dustin grabbed his arms and pinned Koji up against the wall behind him. Koji tried to break free but it was no use. Zeek stepped up to Koji and leaned in close, their noses about to touch. "You can never hide." He whispered.

Suddenly Zeek jerked away and yelled out a cry of pain. He waved his hand around wildly trying to rid himself of the pain. As Dustin and Chris gaped at Zeek Roxas quietly climbed up and told him the plan.

"But what about--!"

"Don't worry! He can find you again! It's a Remnant thing!"

Koji nodded and looked around. Then jerking a hand free he pointed towards the sky. "Holy cow!!! It's a flying bird!!!"

Dustin and Chris let him go and frantically searched the sky. As Koji made his escape it finally hit them. "Hey... Wait a second, birds don't fly!"

Zeek held his hand up to his face to see his attacker. To his surprise it wasn't some animal unless it was a freakish rat of some sort. What he saw was Axel, digging his tiny teeth into Zeek. "Gah!" He yelled in anger and flung his hand out away from himself. Axel couldn't hold on anymore and was sent flying. "Go find him! Find him and teach him a lesson that will leave him ruined for life!" Zeek shouted. Dustin and Chris ran of in different directions in search of Koji.

Dustin stopped and thought for a second. Then he walked off again and grumbled, "Birds do fly don't they..."

Koji was tense all through school. He was in for it now. Now there was nothing he could do but wait for the end of his days. Axel came back around lunch and complained about his head hurting. After school was when it happened. Koji was walking home when he heard it. "Oh nerd!"

"Snap..." Koji mumbled. He didn't bother to turn around. "Look what you got me into you guys!"

Axel looked around from inside his pocket. "I got an idea! Run that way!"

"More running? You guys are going to be the end of me!" Koji whispered. He could here them getting closer. Time was running short.

"Come on Koji, what's it going to be!" Roxas asked him. There wasn't really much of a choice.

Koji turned and ran down the street where Axel pointed. Climbing up on Koji's shoulder he pointed down an ally way. "There!" Koji made another turn only to find it fenced off.

"Hold on!" Koji yelled and backed up. Then running at full speed he soared over the fence. Koji's feet didn't quite hit the ground right and he ended up skidding. "This is pointless!" He yelled. "They're going to get me!"

Roxas looked around at the dead end they landed themselves in. Buildings on three sides, bullies on the other side. "We'll have to fight them!"

Koji pulled Roxas out of his pocket. "We!? We!? I can see you being squashed like a bug! That's what will come out of a we!"

"Then use your Tamer abilities." Axel said calmly.

Koji placed Roxas and Axel on the ground in front of him. "What Tamer abilities!? The best thing for you to do now is to run."

"But--"

"No! Unless I can just clap my hands--" Koji clapped his hands together in a demonstration and a burst of light blinded him. When he opened his eyes again his answer was right in front of him. "Okay... I guess I now have a plan..."

Zeek walked up to the fence he knew Koji had jumped. He quietly pointed towards the fence. Then he heard Koji's voice from behind him. "What's up nerd?" Koji mocked.

"You have a lot of guts to show your face here or maybe you're just getting smarter." Zeek smirked. He jerked his head towards Koji and Dustin and Chris walked towards him. Koji whistled and Axel and Roxas came from around the corner from either side. Not the Remnants they once were but full sized Nobodies. Dustin and Chris got maybe one step back before they had them pinned to the walls. That left Zeek and Koji.

'_Leave him to me!'_ Koji had said before. He walked towards Zeek slowly, a smile breaking free from his manufactured blank expression.

"What's behind your back nerd?" He asked and Koji ignored him. "Answer me!" He shouted. Koji then advanced, pinning him to the wall with his arm against Zeek's chest and his weapon pointing at Zeek's nose.

Actually it was Roxas's weapon. Oathkeeper was pointed directly at Zeek's nose and it looked as if at any moment Koji was going to shove it up there. "Want to play now nerd?" He grinned. Zeek's breaths were now coming out as raspy gasps. "Come now, I thought you wanted to hang out with me!" Zeek didn't answer. There was no way that Koji had befriended some video game characters and was now sticking a keyblade into his face. No way. Koji put a hurt look on his face. "No one wants to play with me!" He whined.

Axel tried to stifle a laughing fit but it came out as some freakish snorting sound. Everyone stared at him as he bit his hand in an attempt to stop the laughter.

Zeek's voice was quiet. "What are you going to do to me?"

Koji looked back at Zeek and thought really hard. "Well nothing _**if**_..." Koji let the silence cut through Zeek's imagination. "...You promise not to bully me or my friends anymore."

Zeek nodded his head slightly so he didn't put the keyblade up his nose himself. "A-anything!"

Koji put the keyblade down and turned around. Then he slowly looked back. "Oh. And one more thing..."

The next day Koji went to school happy that he now knew the basic trick to being a Tamer. Well, mainly he was happy for show Zeek and his pals gave him in the cafeteria. Everyone else got a kick out of it too. He wasn't half bad either. If Zeek was a girl he'd probably make a great ballerina. He did a good job on the table that day. Of all the people who watched the dance, Koji, Axel and Roxas were probably the ones who enjoyed it the most.


	3. Chapter 3: A Night At Harry's

Chapter Three: A Night at Harry's

Koji sat in Harry's basement with the Remnants. Harry's basement was one of their favorite spots to hang. The adults of the house, even Harry's seventeen year old brother, hated staying down there. Koji sat on a beat up couch that had been duck taped together in several spots. He was playing chess with Axel who stood on the table in front of him, to small to truly play without stepping on the board. A pool table was pushed of to a corner with boxes of old photos and baby toys. A few old deer horns from a grandfather hung on the walls along with random pictures. Roxas lay on one of the pillows randomly thrown a crossed the room, fiddling with a loose string.

True boredom.

Harry was gone doing something and everyone lay waiting. Koji shoved his impatience away and pushed a chess piece forward. "Check."

Axel studied the board. "No way, where?"

"There." Koji said without emotion. "You got to move now."

Axel glared at the chess piece. "Well then I'll move here."

Koji gently picked up a piece and placed in another spot. "Checkmate."

"What? How?"

Koji jerked his thumb at the king. "Look closer."

Just then, Harry came flying down the stairs and slammed a box on the table. Chess pieces went flying everywhere shocking both Koji and Axel. Especially Axel who had been about to step onto the board. Just one more second and...

"Guess what!" Harry said excitedly.

"What?" Koji asked in the same, but more sarcastic tone.

"I found this cool board game to play! You want to try?"

"Uh, no." Koji said even more sarcastically. "Just look at it. It just screams kindergarten at you."

Axel finally slumped to his knees from the shock. He was pretty sure being a Remnant was his last life line. Roxas walked to the edge of the table and looked up at them. "What is it?"

Harry looked at the box for a few minutes. "I don't know. My grandma just told me to be careful with it. The name is all scratched out." He popped open the box and looked inside. "It looks really old though. It came from antafrica or something."

Koji picked up a small wooden place marker from the box. "Would that be Africa or Antarctica?"

"Shut up." Harry snapped. Harsh words but a playful meaning. "I pass my classes."

"With a D- average."

Harry pulled out the play board and set it on the table, pushing the chess game off. "Please play? You weren't doing anything anyway."

"I'm still alive right?" Axel asked Koji.

A small laugh came from Roxas. "Of course you are."

"Good, because Harry's butt was about to become haunted!" Axel glared at Harry who twitched when his eyes locked with his.

"Uhh... okay..." He slowly backed away.

Koji sighed. "Fine." He grumbled and set the piece on the board.

At that moment, after a yell was heard upstairs. "Harry your dad is here!"

Harry dropped his Fanta. "Aw, Snap!" He quickly picked up his dropped beverage and jerked his head towards the basement door. "You got to go! Now!"

"Why?" Koji asked.

"Because my dad is embarrassing!"

"So?"

"He asks my friends the weirdest questions ever!"

"Because?"

"His hobby. He's way into the supernatural! He thinks if he gets a huge break through he can quite his job."

Koji remained where he was sitting. "I can handle it."

Harry shook his head. "There's a reason you're my only friend now. Everyone else thinks I'll be as weird as him or something!"

A small pause of silence was left between them before Koji said, "Harry, you're already weird."

Harry watched Koji pick up the dice. "Fine..." He groaned. "Just don't take him seriously."

His dad came down the stairs as Koji let his dice fall onto the board. "Hey Harry, who's your friend?"

"No one..." He whispered. Axel and Roxas quickly hid under the couch, making sure to keep their existence known to a minimum amount of people.

He came down and sat by Koji. Koji cocked his head away from him to give him the hint they were a little to close. "What's your name?" he asked.

"Koji..." He said slowly, as if he was a little slow.

"Could I ask you a few questions?" He asked.

"Dad, don't you do enough of that at work?" Harry shook the dice, his hands tight for he didn't plan to let go soon.

Koji shook his head. "Whatever. Hit me."

His dad pulled a notepad seemingly out of no where. "Have you seen anything unusual lately?" He asked.

"No." Koji told him as he reached for his soda.

"Nothing? You know, dragons, werewolves, ghosts, fairies--"

Koji shook his head to everything he said, drinking his soda at the same time.

"--Nobodies?"

Dr. Pepper erupted from Koji's mouth and rained all over the game before him and Harry. His Remnant's squeaks were concealed from the noise of spraying liquid.

Harry slowly brought up his hands and gave them a shake of disgust. His dad didn't even seem to notice the reaction.

"Nobodies?" Koji asked, his voice shaking.

He nodded. "You know, monsters that were born from imagination."

Koji calmed down. Wrong Nobodies. He laughed nervously. "Not at all."

Harry's dad nodded, disappointed. "Okay then. Tell me if you do." He said and left.

Roxas and Axel crawled out of their hiding place. "Weird..." Roxas muttered.

Koji smiled. "You do remember we are camping in the backyard right?" he asked.

Harry nodded. "Of course."

Later that night they were all ready for the night and were in the middle of very important game.

"Fifty-two card pick up!" Harry yelled and chucked the deck at Koji, which burst into many directions.

"Gah! Hey!" Koji laughed and grabbed a handful for himself to throw. Harry tried to grab some to throw back but Koji tackled him, sending themselves rolling into a pile of cards.

"Hey you two!" Axel laughed and pulled them apart. In a tent big enough for ten, there was plenty of room and privacy for two full grown Nobodies. Even rowdy ones.

Roxas decided not to be the lone one out and tackled Axel. Harry gave a final throw of cards at them and sat back laughing. Axel pulled a sleeping bag over Roxas's head and sat up, brushing himself off.

"Is this anyway someone your age should act?" He asked with a smile.

Harry, Koji and Roxas glanced at each other and both said in unison, "Yes!" They sat back laughing until a small sound interrupted their fun.

"Mew?" a kitten walked into the tent and sniffed at Axel's hand. He smiled and pet it with a finger. Another kitten walked in and jumped up onto Harry's lap.

"How cute!" He grinned wildly like a fangirl would over an anime character.

Koji turned to see another cat slide in. This one was terribly fat and sniffed at Harry's books. A kitten walked up to it and gave it a small, "Mew?" The fat one ignored it and the kitten pushed it with his nose. "Mew?"

"MEH!!!" The fat cat yelled, not even a cat-like meow anymore from it's size. The kitten scrambled for safety behind Axel.

"What was that!?" Harry exclaimed. The fat cat let out another 'meh!' and grabbed his homework with his mouth. "That's mine!" Harry lunged at it, but the cat ran out faster than you could think a cat that fat could go. "After it!" Harry shouted and ran outside. The four of them ran out through the dark after the cat that was slipping away from them.

Koji saw the cat crawl under a bush and he dived in after it. The cat ran out in surprise, still holding the homework. It then escaped under a house which they all stopped at the edge of the yard.

"I'm not going under there..." Axel said, holding up his hands in his defense.

Sighing. Koji walked a crossed the yard. "I will..." He got down on his hands and knees and crawled under. Soon enough it got to low and he was sliding a crossed the dirt, pushing away cobwebs. The cat hissed and ran past his reach, going out the way it came. Koji came flying out from under the house soon enough and was on the chase again.

"Where did he go?" Roxas asked after a few more chases and dives. They had finally lost the cat.

The streets around them were an empty void. All was silent except for the heavy breaths of the four. Well... all was silent until a dark laugh cut through the silence. They weren't alone.


	4. Chapter 4: Tamer Material?

Chapter Four: Tamer Material?

"I see we have a Tamer out late tonight." A voice said, sending a chill through every part of Koji's body. "What Remnants are with him?"

Koji looked around but found that the voice wasn't at ground level. In fact, the one who spoke was on top of a tall three story house. "Who's there!?" Koji shouted at the cloaked figure.

"I'll tell you if you tell me." He said, raising a gloved hand to twirl the air.

Koji looked at his Remnants and they nodded, giving him the okay to say so. "This is Axel and Roxas." He said dully. The cloaked figure nearly choked.

"Roxas? Roxas? Liar! There can be no Roxas! He never faded! Who is he?"

Koji was confused by his reaction. It then dawned on him. If Remnants were the remains of faded Nobodies than how could Roxas currently exist as one? He never faded. He returned to his somebody, Sora. Koji looked at Roxas, perplexed. Then how...

"Well I'm here now!!!" Roxas shot back.

The cloaked figure looked down at him, his hood hiding his eyes. Then, a small grin crept acrossed his mouth. "Roxas... It's a pleasure..." He then turned towards Koji, the grin not leaving his shadowy face. "Look at what you've done to them. Such an irresponsible Tamer. Well, you know what they say..." He brought up his hand and put his fingers together. "A weak mind is a weak Remnant." A loud snap escaped his fingers and another cloaked figure appeared beside him. "I'm Twilight and this is Marluxia." He pointed to the Remnant as Marluxia removed his hood. "Unlike yours, is healthy and normal while yours is dangerous and free willed."

The last word he said clung to Koji's heart. He knew Marluxia didn't look right. His eyes were empty. A void.

"What do you mean?" Koji asked, fearing the worst.

Twilight laughed. "Free willed Remnants are a ticking time bomb! They would never go to us willingly! Just the though of being under one's control would make them crazy!"

"That's not true!" Axel shouted up to him. "I went to him willingly as well as Roxas!"

Silence fell upon the street. Twilight continued to stare at Axel until he finally turned to Koji. "Irresponsible. Like I said. Now, hand them over and I'll make sure they get put to good use. You're unfit to be a Tamer."

"No!" Koji answered quickly.

Twilight scratched the back of his head. "Then I'll just have to take them by force." He said, shrugging.

Axel jumped in front of Koji, as if to protect him from Twilight's gaze. "Good! Cause I've been itching to burn that smirk right off your face!"

Marluxia jumped off the building and landed with a dull thud on the ground. He stood up nonchalantly and brought out his scythe.

"Now Marluxia, get Axel!" Twilight commanded and Marluxia obeyed. Just like a puppet.

Marluxia raised his scythe but was suddenly tackled by Roxas. They skid acrossed the ground, leaving a dust cloud in their wake.

Harry backed away, frightened. Koji tore his eyes away from the scene to give him a quick glance. "Hide!" He yelled and Harry didn't need to be told twice. He ran down a small alley way and hid behind a few boxes, still ready to at least have a view.

Marluxia threw Roxas off with a sweep of his arm and stood up. The commands of Twilight were heard in the background, controlling every move for his Remnant to make. Axel tried to reach Roxas but Marluxia advanced, making a connection with his scythe. Axel dodged, but just barely as he held the cut Marluxia had just made.

Koji let out a cry of pain as he felt something run down his arm. Koji's eyes widened as he noticed the blood. He too, had a cut. Just like Axel's.

"Wha--?" He managed to utter out of confusion. His reply was a harsh laugh from Twilight.

"You didn't know? When you release a Remnant from their smaller form you become connected to them for the time being. His pain is yours!" He laughed maniacally, as if nothing in the world could be funnier.

Roxas got up from where he lay and looked over at Koji. "You alright?" He asked sympathetically.

"I won't be if you don't stop him!"

The blonde nodded. Axel threw his hands out to the side and summoned his chakrams, ready to fight. Marluxia raised his scythe as if in an answer. Roxas brought out weapons of his own for the clash between the Tamers and Remnants. Twilight gave the command and Marluxia was the first to move in. Axel quickly flung a ring of fire around them, trapping the Graceful Assassin in it. The sudden blaze didn't as much as make Marluxia twitch as he kept charging in. Axel lifted his chakrams as a barrier and they took a full blow.

Axel swung the chakrams around, sending Marluxia stumbling. Then he lunged in for a full attack that was reflected from Marluxia's swing. Axel lost his footing from the shock and slipped, saving him from the loss of his arms, but still was brushed.

Koji clung onto both arms as the pain filled him too. Koji then heard a cry from the building above as the commands stopped. He looked up to find Roxas had snuck around the fight to get to the main problem. Twilight was now backing away, trying to dodge keyblade after keyblade swung at him.

Axel took advantage of the situation and swung his chakrams out at Marluxia. His swing connected with his side, leaving a huge tear through both cloak and skin. Blood soaked Marluxia's cloak, not bothering to react. Instead, he was suspended between the last and next order from his Tamer, who was too occupied to do anything. Twilight yelled out in pain and looked at the blood that had formed onto his own body.

"N-no! Blood!? It can't be!" He looked at his bloody hands, as if he was covered in parasites.

Everything seemed to calm as a voice rung out from acrossed the street. "I'm disappointed Twilight. I had high hopes for you." Everyone turned to see another cloaked figure. His hood was up but you could still see midnight purple hair hanging in front of his face. When he pulled his hood back to look up at Twilight, his golden eyes seemed to glow with the moon. If this sixteen year old looking kid had gone to school, he probably would have been classified as emo.

"I'm sorry but _He_ wants to see you." The word 'he' sent chills down Koji's spine.

Twilight bowed, keeping his head at an angle. "Fancy seeing you here Star. I thought you were... away..." He said, voice still shaking from shock.

"Twilight…" The one named Star growled. "Now would be a good time to see Him. He is disappointed as well."

Twilight's face filled with terror as he grasped the situation none of the others could see. "I see..." He muttered. He summoned Marluxia next to him who brought up a portal next to the Tamer. Then they were both gone.

Koji turned to look at the Star as he started walked away. "Wait!"

Star turned to glare at the Tamer. "What?" He asked darkly.

"Who are you?" He questioned.

Star stared at him a bit longer, agonizingly stretching Koji's patience. "We are known as the Celestial Trainers. Don't think we won't come back. You have two, very much wanted, Remnants in your possession that the CT could use for our own purposes." He turned to go but then looked back. "You have no idea what you have gotten into." He slowly turned and walked away from the scene of the crime. Koji didn't bother to follow.

Harry came from around the corner, eyes wide. "What was that?"

Running his hands through his hair Koji let out a long sigh. "I think I'll just go home..."

"Harry! Koji!" A yell came from out of the blue. They turned to see Harry's dad running towards them.

"Oh, snap!" Koji turned to warn his Remnants but they were one step ahead of him, already running to Koji for cover as their four inched selves. He picked them up as Harry's dad's hand grasped his shoulder. Koji quickly shoved them into his pocket, muffled yells crying out in surprise.

"You guys okay?" He asked.

Koji pretended to yawn. "Ye-yeah. I was on my way home."

Harry's dad eyed Koji's pocket suspiciously. His gut told him something was going on. "Well..."

"Well, I guess I'll see you later then." Koji finished. He ran down the street, desperate to get away and in bed.

Harry started to push his dad away from the scene. "Come on. Let's go home and get some rest."

Koji's mom was up late finishing some house work. She was in the middle of the dishes when she saw Koji walk in. "Everything okay dear?" She asked like she always did.

Koji simply looked at her. His hair was sticking out at every angle possible from the cat chase and his arms were bloody along with his hands and pockets. His PJs were dirty and he looked worn beyond belief, mainly from diving after Harry's homework which they ended up not finding.

"Yes mom," He said dully. "I've never felt better."

"Okay then." She said cheerfully. "Tell me if you need anything."

Oblivious. Koji shook his head weakly. Just like always, they never saw anything other than the perfect life they projected around themselves. That was the story of his family.

Stumbling up the stairs and into his room, he flung himself onto the bed and was asleep before he hit the bed. Reverting his Remnants also had taken a toll on him. His dreams were filled with hopeless mysteries.


	5. Chapter 5: Becoming

Chapter Five: Becoming

It was a dark night. Every one was asleep but it was far from quiet. The loud pitter patter of heavy rain pounded on the window and roof. Every few minutes a flash would illuminate the room, already lightened with the glow of a small lamp that had been left on. Then a rumble would gently roll a crossed the valley, in which this particular house called home. Regardless of the noise, most people in the small town slept gently and oblivious of the storm that was to drag out to the next day.

Axel awoke suddenly. His whole body was in pain. From what, he did not know but the facts were clear. It hurt! He rubbed his back, trying to make the pain subside when another person, one almost exactly like him rose sleepily from where he lay.

"Are you okay...?" The small blonde asked.

"Of course!" Axel replied, trying to sound as cheerful as possible.

"No, really, what's wrong?" The blonde asked again, not fooled by his act.

Axel only sighed. "Eh... it's nothing really. It'll be okay by tomorrow, I promise. Get some sleep Roxas."

Roxas shook his head. "Shouldn't you tell our Tamer or something?"

"It's nothing we should worry him over. He has enough problems to sort out as it is."

Roxas only looked at him dully. Then he flopped back down and threw his small blanket over himself. "Whatever..."

It wasn't long before Axel could hear his breath turn into gentle snores. He laid back down himself, staring off into space. No matter how hard he could try, he couldn't stifle that twinge of fear...

It seemed as if God was dumping buckets of water down upon the world as Koji raced after his bus. He watched the kids in the back laugh and point as it grew farther and farther away. Finally, Koji had to let it go as he caught his breath. He was already soaked.

"Just great..." He mumbled and walked the rest of the way to school...

...Which was wet as well. Harry met him at the front gate and held an umbrella pointlessly over Koji's head. "I got this for you so you wouldn't get wet when you got off the bus..."

"Gee, thanks..." Koji growled sarcastically.

"Well..." Harry adjusted his glasses. "When you get dry again, you can use it."

Koji grumbled and walked to school. He was still wet when third period came about.

"How do you like Hammy!?" Karen squeaked, shoving a fur ball into his face.

Koji let out a loud sneeze and mumbled, "Uh, yeah. He's really something."

Karen only squeaked some more. "Yeah! Isn't he! I've had him for six years!"

"How long does his kind live for?" Said the silent Sahara of Karen's 'herd' of preps.

"What a stupid question!" Snapped Lola. She was the one that got angry really easily.

Mr. Devner put his stack of test papers down on his desk. "Well, if you were to think in logical terms, the smaller an animal is, the smaller their life span. This isn't true for all animals but you can expect it from allot of them."

"That's dumb!" Lola spat and pet the hamster furiously.

Koji snapped out of his day dream and looked over at the group. He thought about his Remnants and how they were about that hamster's size. Sure, he wasn't too worried but...

He gently tapped the pocket Roxas was in. "Hey," He whispered, "how long do Remnants live?"

He saw Axel do some calculating in his fingers. "I don't know! Like I'm supposed to know that?" Axel said after he was done. Koji nodded. "Okay..."

After school he hung out in his kitchen. His parents were gone and Harry was over. They were drinking what else? Harry had his Fanta and Koji his Dr. Pepper.

"Ugh, Karen's Gerbil's a pest!" Harry complained.

"It has this huge shedding problem. Have you noticed?" Koji asked.

"Who hasn't? That thing is so fuzzy, it's fur could make a complete sweater for my grandpa Bill! That's saying allot there!"

"Uh, Koji?" A small voice asked.

Koji looked down at the youngest of his Remnants. "What's wrong?"

Roxas looked away. "We... ah... we aren't feeling very well..."

"We?" Koji asked.

"Me and Axel."

Harry walked over to them a placed a finger a crossed Roxas and Axel's foreheads. "Crickey! You guy's are going to need some rest! You're burning up!"

Koji felt a jolt of fear when he realized there was no way he could help them. Medicine didn't have dosages for their sizes. He carried them up to his room and placed them on his bed. They fell asleep just as he placed them down. Harry tried to make sure they were comfortable and then looked up at Koji. "This is bad!"

Koji looked up at him. "You didn't sound worried before."

"That's because I didn't want to scare them. They have a huge fever! My brother said he had one something like that before and he needed to go to the emergency room."

"What, and you've suddenly become a doctor?"

"No, but I've taken care of people before and I've never felt a fever this bad!"

"Or this fast!" Koji mumbled to himself. "I mean, it just came out of nowhere!"

"Koji, we're going to need a doctor of some sort."

"Oh, and have him on the news and confiscated by the government for intense study or used for war! Any other ideas Sherlock?"

Harry shook his head. "Only to do what they can. They're Remnants right? Maybe they can survive this kind of thing or something."

Koji fiddled with his covers. "I guess..."

"Now, let's go downstairs and try to calm down. We'll check up on them every five minutes even if you want to. The main thing is to try not to disturb them."

Koji and Harry left the room and headed down stairs. Koji thought back on what happened.

"Crickey...?" He asked.

Harry blushed. "I-I've been watching allot of crocodile hunter with my brother." He spread the neatly stacked pile of letters that Koji had gathered from the mail box. He picked one up and looked at it. "Uh, Koji? This one's for you."

Koji nearly choked on his soda. "Why would someone send a letter to me?"

"It feels like there's a book in here."

Koji studied the brown envelope. I did feel like it was book. There was no return address and Koji's name was such chicken scratch that he was surprised the post office could even identify the house it went to. On the back was the stamp 'delayed' and date it was supposed to arrive. Koji shrugged and opened it up.

"Oooh, your wrong Harry, it's a letter AND a book!" Koji said smugly.

"Oooh, my bad!" Harry answered in the same tone.

Koji opened the letter (or more like parchment) up. His eyes scanned over the letter, unreading.

"Oh my gosh Harry!" He exclaimed to Harry excitedly. "Why, it's in English! Isn't that something?"

"Alright, just read it you twit!"

Koji flashed him a grin and started to read it aloud. "Dear Koji Adams. What a precious way to start a letter don't you think?" Harry only glared. Koji cleared his throat:

"_Dear Koji Adams,_

_I have a feeling you have met your Remnant(s) by now. The first week will be confusing but you must hold on. You have a destiny Koji and it is up to you what you do with it. What you have been given, is a choice. Whether you use what you have for good or bad is up to you but what ever you do with it, think about your choice wisely. Many questions about Remnants will pop up and I'm sure you will want them answered. In this envelope is a book on basics but nothing more. The rest is for you to figure out on your own. This book holds key information. Don't let it go to waste._

_Signed,_"

Koji finished and stared at the paper. "Unsigned huh?" He crumpled it to a ball and threw it to the floor. "This week is almost over! It would have been useful to have this in the beginning nimrod! I got my Remnants six days ago, this being the seventh!" Koji let out a sigh and picked up the book. "Well, it's here now..." He grumbled. "Probably wouldn't have had faced death in the eye with Zeek if this had come in that morning huh."

"I can't believe this! Someone knows? And wrote a flippin book about it?" Harry exclaimed.

"Well it's all in my favor so I guess there are no worries!" Koji said with an evil grin. He picked up the book, which was a dark blue hardback. No fancy cover art or designs. He flipped through it something caught his eye. He read it over and then, over again, unbelieving. Koji turned and looked upstairs to his room.

"I know what's wrong with the Remnants!"

"Wha--? What is it!?"

Koji shook his head, trying to sort it out himself. "That's the thing Harry, nothing is wrong with them!"

"Huh?" Harry's jaw dropped.

Koji closed the book with a soft _snap!_ "What they are going through is completely normal!


	6. Chapter 6: The Outcome

Chapter Six: The Outcome

Axel awoke in a dark room. All was fuzzy and his head couldn't catch a thought long enough for him to concentrate on. He then realized there were two people before him, looking down upon him. He reached out with his heart to find his Tamer and realized that one of those people was him. He gave him a dazed smile and slowly sat up, rubbing his eyes. He didn't feel right, like he wasn't the same person anymore, but he knew he was. Axel tried to sit up straight but it sent pain through his spine. He gave out a small feeble yelp not really from the pain as it was from the shock.

"How are you doing?" Koji asked.

"Never better..." Axel growled and then looked around. "Where's Roxas?"

Koji smiled. "Asleep."

Axel looked out the window. Light was filtering through closed shades and it looked pretty warm for a winter day. It had been raining when he fell asleep.

"How long did I sleep?" He asked slowly.

Koji thought about his answer for a second. "Er... since yesterday..."

"What!?"

Koji put his hands up in a surrender type manner. "Y-You needed to sleep! It was a Remnant thing of yours! The book told me all about it, but your okay now right? Right!?"

Axel stood up and looked up at his Tamer questioningly. "Book? What book?"

"This one." Harry answered, pulling out a thin, dark blue book. "It has all the basics on Remnants. Koji got it in the mail while you were sick."

Axel tried to race over to get a better look but immediately lost his balance and fell forward. Something wasn't right...

"Wha--?" Axel moaned and sat back up. He looked up at Harry and Koji who were looking at him with concern.

"You didn't know?"

"Didn't know what?" Axel asked feebly, trying to suppress the fear that was starting to well up inside. He didn't like the feeling he was receiving from his Tamer.

Harry and Koji looked at each other. "Erm... Axel? Uh... try uh..." Koji put his hands up to his ears.

"What are you getting at?" Axel asked put his hands up to his own head. He felt something that wasn't normal. "What?" Axel exclaimed, running his hands down his long ears. "I-I'm like a rabbit or something!"

Harry adjusted his glasses. "More like a cat."

"Like it makes a difference!"

"Calm down okay?" Koji stepped between the two and turned to Axel. "I thought you'd know about this, having to be a Remnant yourself!"

Axel pulled at his ears and gave a tiny squeak of pain. He studied himself over to find he had a tail too. He flattened the puff of fur at the end. "What is this?"

Koji sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. "The book says that a week after a Remnant connects with his or her Tamer they kinda go through some changes. The changes depend on the Remnant and the Tamer they connected to."

Axel stood up and glared at the book in Harry's hand. "Who sent that to you?"

"That's the thing, we don't know."

"What about Roxas?" Axel asked and tried to run towards Koji again, only to fall forward once again. He got up and walked forward experimentally. Then he ran and fell again but this time he felt it. His spine couldn't support him when he ran anymore. He got up once again and this time ran on all fours. It now had become perfectly natural to run this way... which ticked him off.

"If only I stayed a Nobody!" He yelled and dropped face first onto the bed.

Koji picked him up. "I'm sorry Axel. I didn't mean for things to turn out this way. Really."

Axel dropped his ears, apparently a sign for disappointment. "H-how's Roxas? It isn't as bad for him right?"

Koji and Harry once again looked at each other. "It depends on how you look at it..."

Koji gently pushed open the door to the guest room. Axel anxiously looked in. With his ears pressed back like they were and the way he was fidgeting with his tail, he looked almost timid. Koji placed him on the bed and he walked over to his best friend. Roxas's eyes fluttered open. "Hmm?"

Axel sat knelt next to him. "How's it going?" He whispered.

"Sleeping." Roxas said bluntly and rolled over.

"You never were a morning person." Axel laughed gently.

Roxas quickly rolled back over and looked Axel over. "Halloween's over."

"I can say the same for you."

"What do you mean...?" Roxas asked sitting up.

Axel only smiled and said, "Look behind you."

Roxas did and nearly choked on his gasp. He jumped up and turned, trying to see if it was apart of the pillow or not. He had wings. Green and blue butterfly like wings that had a wingspan of one and a half his size. Two antennae like things followed his wings out from his back. Two tail like things connected to his wings trailed behind him, webbed just like a butterfly at the tips.

"What happened?" He asked.

"Well your not about to see Ashton Kutcher here or anything, that's for sure."

Roxas gave them a flap and he hovered above the bed for a few seconds. "Well that's convenient, considering that it's hard to get around at this size."

"Yeah..." Axel grumbled.

Roxas walked over to his friend. "Aww, but you look so cute!" He said, holding his ears up. "It's perfect for you!"

Axel jerked out of his grasp. "Easy for you to say, fairy queen." He ran back over to Koji. "Now, let's take a look at that book."

"Axel, you just..."

Axel didn't even look at Roxas. "Yeah well, my spine was altered as well."

Koji tapped the book on his head. "According to this there's good news. You don't have to worry about these changes when I revert you to your Nobody forms."

"Well, That's good news." Axel moaned. "What am I going to do in the mean time! I run on all fours! I can't even sit normal with out crouching down like an animal!"

Koji grabbed Axel's tail and held him up in front of him. Axel dangled there for a few seconds before flailing around.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing!? Put me down!"

"I can't help it!" Koji's smile grew even bigger. "You're just so cute! Just like a plush toy or something!" He started swinging him back and forth.

"Stop!" Axel yelled and tried to grab Koji's hand. Sadly he wasn't fit to do such an act. Koji could only laugh at such a pitiful act and put him back down on the bed. Axel turned dizzily around a few times and then fell to the bed.

"I have to agree with Koji on this one." Harry laughed.

"Fine." Axel pouted. "You better not sleep tonight. You might not wake up."

"I'll take my chances." Koji cheerfully replied. "Anyways, I bet you're all hungry. You haven't eaten for about a day."

"Yeah, I am pretty hungry..." Roxas yawned. "I guess this is all going to work out for the best?"

"Pfft. You wish! You can fly! All I do is pose for a hamster!"

Koji laughed. "Come on you guys. Let's get some lunch."

Roxas fluttered over Koji's head. "This is so cool! I can get around so much easier!"

Axel rolled his eyes. "And I'm stuck taking the Koji express."

"Hey, you never complained before!" Koji said, slightly hurt. "Fine! You can walk!"

"No, no! Your fine, your fine!" Axel ran up Koji's arm and to his shoulder, which he found to be allot easier to do now. "Nothing bad on your part but I'd kinda like to fly too."

Koji smiled. "Yeah, whatever."


	7. Chapter 7: A Father's Secret

Chapter Seven: A Father's Secret

It was a cold day. Koji could see his breath come out in great puffs of fog. It was cold enough to snow but it was a dry day. He was walking home today for he had missed the bus again because he had been held after class. Koji was chattering with his Remnants about whatever they normally talked about when he felt it. He was walking up his driveway and was about to walk through the kitchen door when he froze. Something wasn't right. He looked back at the garage. The door was closed, like always but...

"Hey you guys... Hide."

"Why?" Roxas asked.

"Just do it." Koji replied and slowly pushed open the door. What he saw shocked him.

His mom was sitting at the table, pushing a letter around the table with one hand and covering her eyes with another. She sat with a slump and her hair seemed to had lost it's hold and was falling out of her bun. She worked all day, every day and sometimes took double shifts so she was gone all night as well. Her being home before eleven brought back the old feelings of when he was a little kid. It also gave him an eerie feeling, like the twilight zone or something. For years, he's only seen her late at night when he got up from bed for a few minutes. Now seeing her in daylight was kind of freaky...

"Uh, mom?" He asked, his voice cracking. She looked up at him and it seemed as if all life had been drained from her. She plastered a ridged smile on her face and waved.

"Hi sweetie. Home early?"

"Not... really..." He said slowly, thinking back on his detention warning.

Regardless of his cautious attitude towards her, she kept up the manufactured grin. "Guess what Koji?"

Koji switched his weight to the other foot. Something was wrong. Terribly wrong. "Uh... What?"

"I got a letter from some people. Your father is coming home today! Isn't that spiffy?"

"Er, spiffy?" Koji asked.

His mom burst into laughter. "Oh you kids these days. I can never keep up with your rad trends."

Koji shifted his weight again. Of what little he knew about his mom, she never tried to fit in like that. She was the serious, business type.

"That's nice. I'll just be in my room..." Koji opened the fridge and pulled out his Dr. Pepper and made his way upstairs. His mom followed his every step until he was out of her view, the smile never leaving her face. He quickly shut his bedroom door and locked it. His Remnants crawled back onto his shoulders from where they were hiding.

"Nice mom." said Axel. "She seems to be the 'turn the world into zombies' type of lady. I can see what your dad saw in her."

"She usually isn't like this." Koji mumbled. "I wonder what Mom is, well, tweaking out about."

Roxas thought for a second. "Well... she said something about your dad."

Koji shook his head. "Then I don't know. Dad left when I was really little. She stayed married to him but she never told me why he left. It's odd."

"He probably got arrested." Axel snorted.

Roxas looked up at his Tamer. "You don't look much like your mom at all." Roxas pointed out. "Does that mean you inherited most your dad's looks?"

Koji nodded. "Yeah. When I do see my Mom she's always telling me about how I'm a splitting image of my Father."

"That just proves my point even more." Axel continued. "You see Koji, you seem to be a magnet for trouble. All these meaningless detentions for stuff you didn't do, bullies, and let's not forget how klutzy you are. You're a walking disaster!"

"Gee, thanks." Koji growled. "But the CT isn't my fault and neither are my grades. That isn't a disaster it's on purpose!"

"Your grades are on purpose?" Roxas asked.

Koji only muttered under his breath and flopped onto his bed. His Remnants stood on his stomach.

"I can't be that hard to find out about your father." Roxas thought aloud. "Do an internet search or something."

Koji sat back up, causing his Remnants to fall to the bed.

"Great idea."

Koji took a sip of his drink and set it back on the bed side table before he left. He slide a crossed the upstairs hall, keeping an eye on his mom downstairs. He quickly made it to the computer room and pulled up google. He typed in his father's name and what he saw shocked him.

"Check out all those articles!" Axel exclaimed.

"Check out what it says!" Roxas exclaimed after him.

Koji pulled some up. "I-I-I had no idea! He was thrown in jail!"

Axel patted Koji's cheek. "Hey, you know I was just joking right? Right?"

Koji nodded. "But he was. Look! Here it says he was thrown in there for abuse! He was a wife beater!?" Koji's hands were shaking. "Ah, man! It says here he was released yesterday on good behavior! He's coming tonight! Oh, snap, He's coming! You guys, I think I'd rather face a thousand Zeeks right now. Heck, I'd rather face a million Twilights!!!"

"It's okay, it's okay!" Roxas tried to calm him down. "You're a Tamer, remember? You have one more Remnant than most Tamers are supposed to have to back you up!"

"Yeah!" Axel joined in. "Like we'd let anything happen to you!"

Koji shook his head. "I-I'm really scared you guys..."

Koji looked out the window into the dark abyss of his yard. Snow was falling heavily onto the ground, piling up over the dry grass. It was late and Koji was already in his pajamas. He wore a small Christmas night cap that hung over the side of his head. A small white puff of cotton rested at the tip while the rest of it was a light, flurry blue. Axel lay curled up next to one of his arms asleep. His tail curled around the front of his body, the puff of fur resting on the top of his head. Roxas was nodding off on his head, desperate to out beat his Tamer at staying awake but Koji had a secret weapon. His own fear was keeping him up.

Koji heard the scrape of tires speed up the drive way and come to a sharp halt. Koji jerked up, snapping both Remnants awake. He made his way down to the railing of the stairs and peered down to the front door. A huge figure let him in. He twitched at the sound of the door hitting the wall. His Remnants peered down at the guy with him. He took off his coat and took a step into the living room. Koji's mom raced to greet him, forcing a smile onto her face. He only grunted and placed his bag next to the couch.

"Not much of a cheerful person, huh?" Axel whispered.

"I guess not..." Koji answered.

His dad walked back over to his wife and started talking quietly. She talked back and the conversation went on as soft whispers. His dad shook his head gently a few times and wandered to a small table with a bunch of photos.

"These are old." He said aloud. His mom nodded.

"Yes. I haven't picked up a camera in years." She sadly shook her head. Koji thought about all the pictures of him and Harry in his room. Some of which were recent enough to have some Remnant and Nobody shots in them.

His dad grunted. He reminded Koji of a huge bear mixed with a pig.

"How is he?" His dad growled.

His mom smiled again. "He's asleep upstairs. In the same room as you left him." She pointed up the stairs and Koji's eyes locked with his father's. He withdrew into the shadows, not letting go of the railing. His Remnants scampered out of sight. His mom looked almost afraid at first, but then motioned for him to come down.

Koji slowly walked down stairs, leaving his Remnants to watch from where he once lay. He approached his father and looked up at him. Sure, a splitting image if you took away the muscles, beer belly and beard. Koji was scrawny but compared to his father he was a twig. His father grabbed his arm and lifted it.

"How many weights do you lift?" He grunted. Koji remained silent, not about to tell him that he cut gym on weight lifting days. His father only grunted. Koji was physically fit, but not that muscle man type of person he seemed to get bullied by endlessly. He reached to pat Koji on the head but he ducked away and stepped back to the safety of the stair entry way.

"What's wrong with the boy, Carol!? When was the last time you hugged the poor child!?"

Koji thought on that same question. Truth be told, he couldn't even remember ever being hugged. The idea seemed so foreign to him now that the subject had been brought up.

The mom, Carol, started shaking. "I-I'm not sure Jack. He's really a nice boy!"

"The boy's a wuss! I wouldn't be surprised if he got bullied!"

"He's a great kid!"

"Great or not that boy wouldn't know how to stand up for himself if his life depended on it!"

"Hey!" Koji shouted, ending the fight. "This _boy_ has a name!"

The parents looked at him for a second. His father growled and lumbered into the kitchen. He pulled out one of Koji's sodas. "What's this?"

"Koji's pop. He dinks the stuff all the time."

His dad laughed. "Yeah, well I'll show him how to be a man. Not one of those sissy nerds he's becoming. Able to fight! Starting with getting rid of this junk and bringin in the hard stuff."

Koji watched his mom recoil into the shadows of the living room. She looked at Koji with fearful eyes. He knew exactly what she was thinking. He was going to be exactly like his father.

"Whatever..." Koji grumbled. He was getting tired of this junk. He walked upstairs, leaving his parents behind. He wanted no part of either of their plans.

After Koji had locked his door and crawled into bed his Remnant finally spoke.

"He seems nice..." Roxas whispered.

Koji glared at his ceiling. "I want to be my own person. Not what they have in plan for me."

It was silent for a few minutes after that. Then, Axel finally said, "That's why we chose you of all Tamers. You'll fight for what you believe in."

Koji's laugh cut through the silence of the night. "Yeah, by fighting you mean running for my life. You found me was after I had barely escaped a beating from Zeek."

"But you ran." Roxas commented. "You didn't give up no matter how slim your chances were. You weren't going to let him win you over."

Koji thought the idea over. "I guess so."

"See? You aren't a wuss like your dad said. You just don't know how to deal with the yet."

"Yeah!" Axel chimed in. "Your just stupid, see?"

They all laughed and the air around them seemed to grow lighter. Koji looked out the window and watched the snow fall. It was quiet except for the soft sound of snow falling. Pretty soon, Koji found himself falling asleep.


	8. Chapter 8: The Common Book Worm

Chapter Eight: The Common Book Worm

The whole house was cast into the deep silence and darkness of early morning. Koji wandered around the house, getting school stuff together. The sun wasn't yet ready to rise. Koji opened the refrigerator for the last time. He fed his friends twice as much that morning. He felt awful having them skip dinner last night. His mom was such a close watcher that he couldn't sneak a thing.

Koji pulled out one of his Dr. Peppers and opened it.

"What do you think your doing!?" A growl burst from the kitchen's archway to the living room.

Dr. Pepper exploded from his mouth. "Gah! You scared me! I'm drinking! What else does it look like!?" He couldn't remember who it was, but he was going to bite who ever it was's head off.

A large figure walked over to him. "Who do you think you're talking to...?" He growled. Koji looked up at his father.

"Apparently the boogey man!" He exclaimed and picked up his back pack. "I'm going to school."

"I don't want to hear that attitude when you get back home or else!"

"What ever!" Koji muttered and slammed the door behind him. "Geeze!"

"Don't worry about him Koji." Roxas muttered from the side of him. "He's just grouchy."

Koji looked up at the fluttering Remnant. "Yeah, constant male PMS, that's what!"

Axel glared angrily at a speck on Koji's shirt. "Yeah, well if he dares to lay a hand on _**my**_ Tamer he can be knocked all the way past the existence of Remnants.

Koji shook his head. Will they ever stay out of his business?

One cloaked figure stood by a fountain. The stars still shined brilliantly in this small valley town but his cell phone told him it was early morning. How long had he stood there? Longer than he knew he should have. Luckily, he had the patience to go through such a wait. As if because of such a thought, another person dress as he was, walked over to him.

"Sorry I took so long." He said. The one who spoke had a soft, New Zealand accent.

The other only nodded, his deep purple hair moving as one and not individually.

"I need to talk to you alone. You know, just between us friends."

"Shadow, please. What is this about?"

Shadow pulled back his hood, revealing jet black hair and with bright reddish pink eyes, which he had outlined with black eyeliner. His skin was pale, like he never got enough sunlight and was as thin as a twig. He would remind anybody of a gothic albino. "You promise not to tell the superior?"

"It all would depend, Shadow. You know where my loyalties lie."

Shadow pouted. "Aw, come on Star! Can you promise me this one thing?"

Star was silent. Then he slowly shook his head. "Fine. But if He finds out I'm giving all the credit to you. Good or bad."

"Okay, I was thinking we put the CT's Koji problem into our own hands. He's got all my favorite characters you see, and I know he has one of yours."

Star growled. "One that was supposed to go to me. I swear, Eclipse is no good. He should've have been watching that egg."

Shadow laughed. "You and your ways... Now if we were to find a way to get those Remnants, break their hearts and then connect to them before He got a chance to say otherwise, we could be his right hand men! Come, on! Let's do this and split the Remnants, fifty-fifty."

"I'm already his right hand man."

Shadow raised a finger. "I heard that Nova's making her way up the charts!"

Star scowled. "I'm not sure about this. He has more Tamer potential than we do."

"Ah, but he still hasn't broken his Remnant's freewill yet! That's always a sign of a weak Tamer!"

Star shook his head. "No matter how many times the superior says otherwise, I still get this feeling..."

"PLEEEZUH!!!"

Star turned away. "I'll think on it." He walked away from Shadow, leaving him alone in the dark. Shadow looked up at the stars and whistled a small tune. Only time could tell.

Koji pushed aside his text books and flopped his Remnant book onto the table. "Now to see what it says."

Axel crawled onto the table. "Why here? The library is such a public place."

"Because. This is a place where everyone minds there own business and reads. What am I doing? Reading."

Roxas sat on his shoulder, looking down at the dark blue cover. "Open it. I'm kind of curious."

Koji opened it up and began flipping through.

"What are you doing? Aren't you going to read it?" Axel jumped to his feet.

"Well, I kind of just want to find things out gradually. Besides, I'm looking for the interesting things right now."

Axel snorted. "Well tell me when that happens."

Koji stopped at a page. "Hey Axel."

"Shut it." Axel snapped, knowing he found something.

"No really. This is kind of cool. It says that a Tamer can mimic their Remnant's voices."

Axel crossed his arms. "No way. That book is bogus. I haven't heard you sound like us at all."

"That's because I haven't tried." Koji gave him a wicked smile. "Though it would be cool."

"Fine. Say something! I dare you!"

"What should I say?"

"Anything." Roxas put in. "Think of something interesting."

Koji thought about it for a few minutes. Then he sat up straight and took in a deep breath.

"Hello everybody, I'm Axel and I think I'm hot. I don't know why fangirls think I'm gay for Roxas. I mean come on! Just because I look a bit like a girl and stalk him has nothing to do with. I know! How bout we go to the mall and get our nails done! I'll get mine layered with sparkles! Isn't that just spiffy!?"

Koji's impersonation hit the mark. Hard. His voice sounded exactly like Axel's. What also hit the gut was that Axel had gone on the internet enough times to under stand what yaoi was and worse, AkuRoku.

Axel's face immediately burned a bright red as he stood there, mouth dropped. Axel's face seemed to burn even deeper when he saw Roxas laughing. He recoiled a few steps, not knowing what to do and his ears dropped as if they suddenly lost the will to stand.

"Are you blushing?"

"No!" Axel defended pointlessly.

Koji laughed. "Cheer up! We've got other things in the book to look at anyways."

"Oh, I can't wait." Axel muttered sarcastically.

Koji turned a few more pages. "Let's find something about Tamers. If we're going to need to fight the CT then I need to at least defend myself. Trust me; I couldn't stand up to Marluxia like you guys did with a broom."

Roxas looked off into space. "There might be..."

"There!" Axel exclaimed as he leapt onto the book to save the spot.

Koji lifted a turned page off the tiny Ex-Nobody. "What?"

"See? What does it say, I can't read upside down."

"You read?" Roxas asked jokingly.

"Har, har, har. Very funny." He commented dully.

Koji looked the book over. "This is weird. 'Tamers posses the abilities to duplicate a Remnant's Nobody weapon but at the price of a small amount of DNA fusion each time from that specified Remnant to his/her Tamer. Once a Tamer has duplicated that weapon, they gain all knowledge that Remnant had on it's use through instinct for that amount of time.' What the flying flip is that supposed to mean!?"

Roxas studied the entry. "I think it means that you can use weapons like ours but in exchange you have to take in a bit of DNA each time and you'll be able to wield it properly."

"You mean slowly start to look like you guys?" Koji asked, apparently the only thing he got out of it.

Roxas dug through his memories. "You used my oathkeeper before with Zeek right?"

Koji read the book entry again. "No, I borrowed that. It says I can mimic your weapons."

"Excuse me." A soft voice whispered. Koji nearly jumped out of his seat and quickly realized his Remnants had seen her coming before he did. Axel was now hidden in his pocket and Roxas in his hood.

Koji calmed himself down and looked up at speaker. Her brown hair was pulled neatly back into a pony tail and small glassed rested at the tip of her nose.

"Could you be quiet? This is a library."

Koji rubbed his head. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't realize I was causing a disturbance. I'll go back to my book."

She looked him in the eyes. "Who were you talking to?" Her eyes then rested on his book. She quickly snatched it away and flipped through it.

"Hey!" Koji shouted and tried to get it back when she pulled out a red book exactly like his.

"Are you of the Celestial Trainers!?" She snarled.

Koji stumbled back. "No no! I have nothing to do with the CT! Honest! They're after me!"

"Why would they be after you, unless you betrayed them!"

"Never! I'd never be apart of them! They're after Roxas and Axel!"

"Liar!!!" She yelled and threw Koji's book back at him. "There is no Roxas Remnant! He never faded you freak!" She brought her hands out her hands to clap them together but was interrupted by a small and unforgettable voice that stood before her.

Roxas had jumped out and was standing before Koji, arms wide open to protect him. All in all it looked pretty pathetic, seeing a four inched person try to pull such and act.

"Leave him alone!"

The girl stared, paused in the act of what looked like releasing a Remnant of her own.

"R-Roxas?"

Axel jumped to Koji's shoulder. "Back away from the Tamer!"

She looked at Roxas, then to Koji and Axel. She then hung her head and muttered. "Sorry. If I knew..."

Koji placed a hand on her shoulder. "Forget about it."

She gently shook her head. "I'm Tara, Tamer to Zexion." Zexion stepped out from his hiding place and took his place on her shoulder. He was altered with Tamer connection like his own Remnant's were except he had cat like ears that rested on the top of his head, unlike Axel's rabbit cat mix that came out where his ears normally would. He had a slender tail with silverish purple fur and long, elegant whiskers that looked a bit over sized. Overall analysis? Cute and adorable beyond all belief.

Koji shook her hand. "I'm Koji Tamer to uh, Roxas and Axel." He greeted, mimicking her introduction.

She looked at Axel. "Looks kinda like Zexion. What animal mix is he exactly?"

"I'm not sure."

She cocked her head. "I want to say bunny but there's this feline look to them, and the tail is weird to. The puff at the end is cute though."

"Okay, you can stop talking about me now." Axel mumbled.

Koji laughed and looked at his clock. "I got to get home. My dad'll freak."

Tara nodded. "Yes, but let me tell you something really quick. I found out Zexion had this problem and considering the fact that Axel's changes were a bit similar..."

She leaned over and whispered into his ear so that the Remnants would not hear. When she was done she gave him a shy smile. "Use that next time he's a bit bothersome. Keep in contact okay?"

Koji gave her a wide grin. "Of course!"


	9. Chapter 9: Go Away Dad

Chapter Nine: Go Away Dad

Eclipse dug through his papers thrown randomly a crossed his lab. "Uh, uh, um..." He stammered, looking for the right one. "Ah ha! Here is all the information you'll need Star!" He said, passing a manila folder to him.

Star opened it and read the first bit. "All the information is here?" Star asked while thumbing through the rest.

"Of course!" Eclipse confirmed.

"And the poison it's self? This project has taken longer than it needed to be and He is very unhappy."

Eclipse scowled. "I'm not getting paid! How in the world am I supposed to produce every stupid idea He throws at me with no money? Chemicals aren't bought at the dollar store you know and I quit my job for this stinkin organization of yours."

Star's expression remained blank. "I'll be sure to bring this up with Him next time I get the chance."

"And you his secretary? Geeze Star, He talks to me too you know! I'm not one of the underlings like your freakish friend Shadow."

A frown twitched at the corner of Star's expression. "Don't talk about him like that Eclipse or I could have you placed under him."

"Oh please Star, I rank above you. Just because you're the only Tamer in the CT that managed to posses two Remnants does not make you special! Now take your bloody poison to the Superior and let me work on my next project."

Star put the papers in place and picked up the bottle. "We'll deal with this later Eclipse. Don't think I have forgotten about the Remnant incident!"

"Whatever."

Star stalked out of the room, leaving Eclipse alone with his Remnant, full sized in the shadows.

"He's smarter than you take him for Eclipse." Vexen pointed. "He probably even suspects you of not breaking my will."

Eclipse snorted. "Yeah, well as long as I fool the rest of the CT it's all good. Star won't risk his status over something he cannot prove."

Vexen nodded. "Yes but this Koji perplexes me. He has two Remnants instead of one. I thought Star was the chosen one."

"Yeah, well I think we can leave Roxas out of the count considering..."

"Yes, of course but Star seems to be worried."

"He's scared because he doesn't run from us. I'm pretty sure the Superior is worried as well." Eclipse said confidently.

Vexen thought about the situation for a minute. "He'd make a great leader..."

"My thoughts exactly, but he has to prove himself first. If our calculations are correct, he may just put our organization on a whole new level." Eclipse dug through his piles of papers. "For now, we'll have to keep this over throwing thing on the down low..."

Yet another storm brewed over the small valley. Koji was glad to be in his room. It was warm and the hard pitter patter of rain on the window was hypnotic. He worked a bit on his homework, not really wanting to do it. The lamp at the desk he worked at cast a warm glow on the rest of the room, which was dark. Koji looked up at the clock for the billionth time, the numbers glowing as green as Axel's eyes, who sat just next to it.

"It's only eight-thirty?"

"Last time you checked it was eight-twenty nine."

Koji shook his head. "Stupid research projects." He mumbled. He opened another text book and ran his finger down the page till it rested on one of the paragraphs. He looked at the book and thought about what Tara had told him earlier that day. He was curious. Would it work? Should he try it now instead?

Koji's eyes looked up at his Remnant, who was starting to fall asleep. "Hey Axel."

"What?" He asked irritably, not opening his eyes.

"Come over here."

Axel groaned and slowly walked onto his paper so he could be right in front of him. "What?" He asked again.

Roxas landed on top of the lamp. "What's going on?" asked the winged Remnant.

Koji looked at both of them. Then his eyes rested on Axel, complete concentration on his subject.

"Hold still."

"Why?"

"Just do it." Koji told him.

He reached over to Axel who stood still as he was told. Then he rested his fingers over his head and scratched him behind his long ears.

It worked. What ever Axel was thinking didn't matter to the Remnant anymore for he immediately fell over, purring loudly. Koji was shocked and yet, he couldn't stop himself. It was like petting a kitten where the utter cuteness of it all compels you to continue. Axel laid there, a blissful look spread a crossed his face, as Koji continued scratching.

"Aww..." Koji grinned. "How cute!"

Roxas looked over at Koji, sheer horror written all over his face. "Y-y-your not going to d-do that to me are you...?"

"No." Koji replied, not taking his eyes away from Axel. "It only works for him and Zexion as far as I know. You can use this against him to if you like!" Koji grinned maniacally.

Koji then took his hand away and let Axel lie there. He continued purring for a bit and then slowly started to grow quiet. He opened his eyes and looked up at the two people that were staring at him.

"I did not just..."

Koji nodded. "I can do it again if you like." he said and reached over.

"No!" Axel exclaimed and ran behind the lamp. "What and why did I just do that!? What was I thinking!? It was like I couldn't control myself at all and I just had to fall and-- man, oh man, why!?"

Koji grinned. "It's a Remnant thing, Axel. It comes with the package."

"It's not like I asked to be like this!" His ears drooped and he held his knees to his chest. "I hate being a Remnant..."

"Wouldn't any of us?" Koji asked. "Your here now right? Besides, you looked like you were enjoying yourself."

"That's the thing! I was! I _**liked**_ it! I _**enjoyed**_ every last bit of it! That's what's annoying!"

Koji sighed. "You never cease to confuse me."

Koji jerked out of his seat when he heard a crash down stairs and a yell.

"Mom!" He cried and raced out of his room. He practically threw himself over the railing as he took in the scene below him. His dad was holding his cowering mother against the wall.

"Worthless!" He snarled.

That was it.

"Hey!!!" Koji shouted and ran down the stairs. "Leave Mom alone!"

His dad looked Koji over and then threw his wife over to the stairs. "Get in your room. I'll deal with you later. Right now I need to have a... talk with Koji."

His mom willing ran away from them, frightened out of her mind.

"I thought I told you to clean up that attitude boy!" He growled.

Koji took a stance. "Yeah well, I'd ask you to clean up your hygiene act but I fear that will never change either."

"Are you challenging me!?"

"What if I am?"

His dad reached out for him but Koji threw him a punch in the gut... and was stopped. Koji pulled back from the brick wall of a stomach and slowly shook his hand. "ouuuch..." He groaned.

Koji's dad, who was unphased by his attack, grabbed his son's arm and twisted him around, throwing Koji up against the wall. Koji felt all the air escape him in one breath out.

"Ooof!"

"Now to teach you a lesson on manners, child!" His dad snarled and brought back a fist. Koji braced himself, willing that someone would save him.

His dad threw his punch as hard as he can when it was suddenly interrupted by another hand.

Axel held on to the dad's punch as he gave him a trademark grin of his. "Did you misplace this?" He asked darkly, and then, without what seemed any effort, threw Koji's dad back. The dad's own weight sent his halfway a crossed the room, landing on the coffee table. The table gave way, shattering into plenty of splinters.

His dad looked up at Axel, who stood full sized in front of Koji. Axel summoned his chakrams in a whirl of flame and took up his stance. "Let's go! You and me! Sound like a fair fight?"

The dad stumbled back, gaping at the Ex-Nobody before him. "What are you!?"

Axel grinned, using the shadows around him to darken his face. "Your worst nightmare..."

Jack (Koji's dad) stumbled back and ran into another person right behind him. He turned and saw Roxas, who had his hood up and oblivion out and ready.

"We've come for you Jack Adams. Your time on this world is up." Roxas said hauntingly. It would've worked better if he had Marluxia's scythe. Scratch that. It would've worked better if he had a scythe that wasn't pink and smelled of cherry blossoms. Still, the affect was great as his face grew grim.

"No!" He yelled and ran to the door. "Get away from me Satan child! Get away from me!" Her burst through the door and tore his car door open. In a screech of tires and the smell of burnt rubber, Koji's dad was gone.

"Who wants a Dr. Pepper?" Koji asked suddenly.

Axel and Roxas quietly raised there hands.

"Sounds good to me."

Koji laughed and walked into the kitchen, seeming to have completely forgotten about his dad.

"Okay!" He said blissfully, knocking his can against the other two. "Now for some long awaited peace!" Koji took a sip of his soda and then set in on the table. He then noticed a package on the table. "What's this?"

"What's what?" Roxas asked.

Koji inspected it. "It's addressed to me with no return address. Mom never checks the mail so I guess dad brought it in." He peeled of the tape and opened up the box. He looked into it and brought out a note.

He read the note aloud. "_Ever wanted to look like a __**real**__ Tamer?_"

"Okay now... What?" Roxas looked into the box. "What is that?"

Koji pulled it out and held it in front of him. "The organization uniform..." Koji said, looking it over. "My size too. Man this guy is good. I may have myself a stalker."

Axel snorted. "What are you supposed to do with it? Wear it to school? That's just asking to find more bullies."

Koji thought for a second. "Nooo... but I'm tempted to do something."

Harry was almost asleep when he heard Roxas's voice. "Hi Harry."

Harry reached over to his bed side table and fumbled with for his glasses. "Oh, hi Roxas." Harry mumbled putting on his glasses.

"Their upside down." Roxas commented.

Harry took his glasses off but found it wasn't true. "Ha ha. Very funny. You know, Koji pulls that one on me all the time." He looked up at Roxas who he noticed was at full size and had his hood up. "Where's Koji? Isn't he around? You are full sized and all."

Roxas shook his head. "I came to see you."

"Okaaay." Harry climbed out of his bed warily. "Why did you want to see me at nine-forty five at night?"

Roxas shrugged. "I don't know. Just wanted to know what you were doing." Then Roxas smiled an evil grin.

Harry walked over to him. "Roxas? Are you okay?"

He started laughing and his laughs started to change into another one Harry recognized all to well.

Harry flung the hood off and stumbled back in shock. "Koji!!!"

Koji doubled over in laughter. "Gotcha!"

"How'd you do that!? Your voice was exactly like Roxas's and your cloak! Wait... don't tell me Roxas is running around--!"

"No, no." Koji laughed. "This is my own. It came from the same person who sent me the book."

"But your voice!"

"Another Tamer ability." Koji said cheerfully. "I just thought I'd drop by and freak you out."

Harry groaned and took off his glasses.

"Hey, where you going?"

"To bed." Harry muttered. He crawled into bed and sighed. "Good night!"

When Koji got home it was about eleven at night.

"Let's get to bed. It's a school night." Axel said, walking up the stairs.

Koji looked at his pop he had left on the table. He was so amped up about tricking Harry he had left it there.

_Best not let it go to waste._ Thought Koji. _Mom hates it when I waste stuff. _Koji quickly drank the rest down and ran after his Remnants. What a good day...

_"When a Tamer is felt like they are put in life threatening danger a Remnant can revert to there larger size, even if the Tamer does not wish it so."_

_'Remnant Basics' Page 4, paragraph 2b_


	10. Chapter 10: Remnant Glitch Part 1

Chapter Ten: Remnant Glitch Part One

"And that's why my sink disposal is automatic." Koji finished.

Harry scowled. "Darn that Winter. If it had been a second off you would be one Remnant less!"

"Not to mention she almost found out about them when she hid in my room that one day."

"Oh yeah! I remember that! That was the day she unscrewed your bedroom door hinges!"

Koji pounded his fist on the desk. "Winter is a huge pest! If she finds out the whole world will!"

"The whole world?" Harry asked.

"She has her sources."

Harry nodded, agreeing. "We need a plan of revenge!"

Axel popped up on the desk. "You know... I've done a good number of pranks in my day." He said evilly, lost in his memories of doom.

Koji scratched his head. "Today isn't the day for that..."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"I've been kinda out of it." He answered

"You're always out of it." Harry laughed.

Koji shot him a glare.

"You've been really spacey. It's bad news for a Tamer if they can't concentrate." Roxas said gravely.

Koji waved the thought away. "Nah..."

"He's right." A voice said from behind him.

"Hey Tara! Hey Zexion!" Said Koji, grinning stupidly.

Zexion levered himself higher in Tara's handbag. "You could be sick."

"Yeah." Axel agreed. "When you get home you need to go straight to bed and get some rest. Got it memorized?"

Koji laughed. "Come on! Nothing's wrong with me! I'm just out of it today!"

Tara shook her head. "I'm walking home with you, just in case."

Koji frowned. "I can't ride the bus?"

"Don't worry," Harry reassured. "I'll walk home with you too."

"Knock, knock." Shadow called into the lab hauntingly. Eclipse jerked around, flinging papers about him. His lab was truly messy. Papers thrown about, flasks of forgotten liquids pushed into corners, scribbled doodles of future experiments tacked randomly to the walls and his Remnant was always somewhere out of sight here.

"Star you--!" Eclipse blinked, confused. "Oh. Shadow. It's you. What are you doing here? I thought you hated me, much less knew where my lab was in the first place."

Shadow laughed. "I don't hate you. I just avoid you. Talking with you makes my head hurt. You know, with the big words and all..."

Eclipse scowled and spun back around to the cluttered table. "Shadow, I'm busy right now so if you don't mind--"

"I hate the superior." Shadow randomly blurted.

Eclipse almost shot back around to look at the young Tamer but he managed to resist the urge. "Do you now?" He said calmly instead.

Shadow let out a long sigh and rubbed his head. "I'm bored with all of this running around. Do you know how much I'd like to be a normal kid again? Look at me; I'm a freak of society, following a nut job's crazed orders that lead somewhere I can't see!" Shadow stood there in silence before hanging his head in defeat. "Koji's lucky..."

Eclipse turned to the now pouting Tamer. "Why? Is it because he has Axel?"

"No..." Shadow murmured. "Because he's free."

"Not for long." Eclipse coughed.

"Hm?" Shadow's head shot up.

"I created a poison for Star. He sent Neon up there to slip it into one of his drinks, what was it... Dr. Pepper? Anyways, Koji got sick in such a way it would corrupt his Tamer abilities. He's probably facing Nova's doom right now."

Shadow shifted his weight. "Do you regret it?"

Eclipse lost his breath for a second. "Wh-what?"

"Do you regret it? Koji... Koji seems different than most Tamers. I..." Shadow hesitated, weighing the odds of whether he should admit it or not. "I'm... kinda growing on him. He'd be a great friend if I wasn't..." Shadow pointed to his uniform.

Eclipse turned the situation over and over in his head. Was pulling another one of his mind games? Or... was he truly lonely? Eclipse couldn't blame him. His only friend, Star, was a bit boring and dull. A complete clash with Shadow's outgoing, playful personality. Should he tell him the plan he and Vexen had been plotting since day one?

"Shadow, where is your Remnant?"

Shadow flinched. "Away." He said plainly.

Eclipse tried to come up with a decision that wasn't influence by his heart. His whole being told him to let him in, get some help.

"Shadow?"

"Hm?"

"Koji! Pay attention!" Tara snapped.

Koji jerked upright, tightening his grip on his cell phone. "Sorry, what?"

Tara let out another irritated sigh. Harry's dad picked him up for a surprise dentist appointment and Tara was torn to her suspicions of the Celestial Trainers' hideout. She talked to him on her phone as Koji was sent home alone, upset he couldn't join the exploration.

"Come on! Two plus two!"

"Uh... Orange?"

Koji heard yet, another sigh. "No Koji. Two plus two does not equal orange."

Axel burst into laughter. Koji angrily picked him up by his tail and held him dangling over the sidewalk.

"I'm sorry Tara, I just can't think right now. I don't know what it is. Maybe you're right. I do need rest."

There was silence on the other end of the phone and Koji watched Axel helplessly flail around as he waited for her response.

"It's alright Koji. Just hurry home 'kay?"

Koji opened his mouth to reply when his phone was torn from his grasp. It skid a crossed the snow, crackling with electricity. Koji reached out to the yellowish arrow type thing that had brutally attack his phone but quickly pulled his hand back when it shocked him.

"What the..."

"So this is the Tamer who has two Remnants..."

Koji whirled around to find two familiarly dressed people. The CT was here again.

"Who are you!?" Koji demanded to know.

The one who spoke cocked her head to the side. "Oh my, you are like Star! How intriguing! I bet Eclipse would love to hear about this but sadly, I have orders to kill you. My apologies."

Koji's Remnants jumped forward to aid him.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk." She clicked, waving a finger. "I wouldn't do that if I were you! You see, you're terribly sick! Sick from our poison for your information. Shocked? Eclipse made it to corrupt your Tamer powers! So long story short, you could end up terribly hurting your Remnants!"

Koji took a step back, trying hard to process the information.

"Just who do you think you are!?" Axel snarled.

She laughed, lowering her hood. "My name's Nova. You got that one memorized Axel?" Nova said, satisfied with Axel's reaction to her words. Her short hair was bright red with deep blue tips and her eyes were a dull green.

"Don't worry my dear Koji, I'll make this quick. Just submit yourself to the darkness." The other person beside her lowered her hood to reveal a Remnant in Nobody form. Larxene.

Koji took a few steps back wondering if he should run or fight. Could he even concentrate long enough to release his own Remnants? The poison apparently was interfering with his ability to do so...

"Koji, come on!" Axel shouted to him. "Fight!"

"But the poison! What if you guys get hurt!?"

"I don't care! At least release me!"

Nova grinned, ready to give the order to kill. "Yes Koji. What will it be? Put your Remnants at risk, hopelessly run or calmly give in. It's your choice Tamer."

Koji looked first to Nova, then Axel, then to Roxas, who was shaking. He was torn between the decisions he was faced with and the poison made the strain unbearable. What would he choose?

"Koji..." Axel pleaded.

Koji then snapped out of his thoughts and made a quick decision. He swiftly brought his hands together shouting, "Release!"

A blinding bright light flashed and Koji heard a cry of pain from his Remnant. Fear immediately pulsed through him as pain pounded at his skull. Koji stumbled forward, reaching to Axel, desperate to see if he was okay. Koji was caught by outstretched hands. He looked up at the one who caught him, the dizziness stopping. Koji choked on his own gasp from what he had done.

"Are you okay?" Axel asked. He was full sized alright but was far from his goal. Axel's Remnant ears were pressed back in worry and his tail curled around his feet where he crouched. Axel gave him a fanged smile. He was mixed.

Koji leapt out of Axel's arms. "Oh snap! I'm so sorry! I-I didn't mean to do this to you!"

Axel stood up and looked himself over. A look of horror overcame him. "What happened!?"

Nova exploded into laughter. "Look what you've done you stupid Tamer! Do you realize he may never change back again? You may have just sentenced him to be this way for the rest of his miserable life! He is partially still a Remnant after all!"

"If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be this way!!!" Axel snarled.

Nova's laughing turned into a soft chuckle. "Your weak, just like your Tamer."

"Shut up!!!" Axel shouted. He threw his hands to his sides and his arms were covered in a raging inferno. Just as he was about to attack he fell forward, completely off balance. Axel tried to get back up but found he was unable to as long as he held his chakrams. His Remnant spine was unable to take it.

Nova faked a yawn. "I'm tired of this. Is that all you have in your bag of tricks young Tamer?"

"Koji." Roxas flew to his shoulder. "W-what are we going to do?"

Nova pulled up her sleeve to look at her watch. "How depressing. Just a little bit of poison and the Koji Star was going all on about is helpless." She looked up at Koji boringly. "I was at least hoping for something more. Well, I guess that's it! It's your move now Larxene. Kill the Tamer."

Larxene quickly threw out her arrows. Koji cringed, waiting for it to end and was then torn off the ground, tumbling a crossed the street. Koji gasped for another breath and found Axel on top of him, ready to move him out of harm's way again.

Larxene tried again and Axel separated himself from Koji, sending them both in different directions. Her arrows bounced of the road and landed harmlessly in the snow.

"Run!" Axel cried but Koji was already on his way. He frantically brushed the snow from his neck and shoulders and Roxas fluttered after him. Larxene sent another array of arrows at them. Koji dove to the ground as they hammered into the building above his head. He got up and ran again, Larxene quickly catching up. Koji wished with everything he had that he hadn't of cut gym class all the time. He tried to suppress his fear as he heard Larxene's pounding steps get louder.

"I can't make it!" He shouted to no one.

"Oh, yes you will!" Axel said firmly, suddenly appearing at his side. Koji suppressed a random laugh when he saw him, running on all fours like he did as a Remnant. It looked so much more bizarre now that he wasn't chibi and small.

"I can't run any faster!" Koji pointed out. "She's gaining!"

As they turned a corner, Koji slipped on the icy path. Axel leapt out in front of him, catching him on his back. Koji latched his arms around the Ex-Nobody's neck as Axel made his way out into the open streets. People turned and looked at the people who had come tearing out from the ally. They were shocked out of their minds at what they saw.

Axel leapt on top of a van that was driving by, pushing off against that and latching his hands on the edge of a building. His feet frantically scraped against the side of the building as he tried to get up. Larxene flung several more arrows at the group. Axel quickly climbed up as they drove into the bricks.

Axel slid a crossed the icy top of the three-story building. The ice sent him full speed of the edge as he scraped hopelessly at the snow. All three of them landed hard into the ally on the other side.

Koji got out from under Axel, ignoring the pain shooting through every part of his body. He stood up, trying to sort out the blinding pinpoints of light that spiraled in his vision.

"Koji, are you okay?" Axel mumbled, standing up next to Koji.

Koji watched him waver back and forth. "Are YOU okay?" Koji repeated.

"I think..." Axel groaned. "I think releasing me like this took a bit more out of me than it's supposed to..."

"Ngh..." Koji answered. That was all he really felt like doing.

Roxas stumbled out from behind Axel, unphased by the fall. "We have to keep moving, she'll catch us!"

"Too late!" Nova's voice echoed down the ally.

Koji stiffened up, even this little action sent pain signals through him.

Larxene seemed to glow as the electricity shimmered around her.

Nova smile grew, knowing his end was close. "This is the end of your road Tamer."


	11. Chapter 11: Remnant Glitch Part 2

Chapter Eleven: Remnant Glitch Part Two

Axel backed away, stumbling when his spine gave in once again.

Nova burst into laughter. "Aww... You poor, poor Remnant... Nobody... Thing." She said, waving her hand in disgust. "Blame your Tamer, He got you into this. Now, Larxene. Finish them off, nice and slow."

Larxene quickly kicked Axel, sending him flying back to the tall, wire fence that separated the two halves of the ally. Koji couldn't help but cringe when he heard his Remnant hit the ground after bouncing off the mesh. A sickening thud...

Pain followed in Koji's own gut as his Remnant's pain was passed through him.

Axel tried to stand back up but couldn't find the strength to do so. Larxene once again shoved him into the wire, torturing him before her final blow.

Koji raced to his Remnant's aid, only to be shoved away by a swift swing of her arm. He crashed into a collection of boxes, breaking and worsening his fall at the same time. He was buried under a mix of cardboard and snow. Koji lay there, flipping through the pages of him memory, hoping for a way a Tamer could help. A Tamer in his condition.

Only one thing came to mind and he doubt it could work with the poison in his system. Then again he doubt anything could work.

Nova smiled, a bloodlust gleam in her eyes. "Larxene. Kill him!"

Larxene raised her hand, ready to spill his life blood. Axel cringed, to weak to do nothing else.

Axel heard the noise of metal hitting metal and opened his eyes, realizing his death hadn't come. There was Koji, two chakrams out as he stood up straight. three yellow like arrows fell harmlessly to the ground. He had used one of his Tamer abilities, one he told Axel he never wanted to use.

"Two can play at that game Koji!" Nova spat and brought out her own weapons, copied from Larxene. Her blue tips in her hair disappeared as it was replaced with blonde. The DNA transfer part of the exchange.

Koji mustered up all the bravery he had. "Let's make this a bit of a game." Koji ginned, leading her in.

"I love games little pyro boy. Fire away!"  
"In for a challenge? How about it. Tamer against Tamer! One on one!"

Nova snickered. "And to the death."

"Fine."

Koji heard a gasp from Axel and Roxas behind him but he ignored it. The last thing he wanted was another lecture from his Remnants.

"Deal!" Nova finalized and chucked her knifes/arrows. Koji flung one of his own weapons out, deflecting each, then charged in for the taking.

Nova spun away, slashing out at him. Koji ducked, only to be kicked away. She threw her electric pins of doom at him, forcing Koji to scamper out of the way. Electric bolts zapped from one arrow to another, covering the area Koji had been a millisecond before.

"Gah!" Koji uttered as he jumped to his feet. Now out in the street, Nova came in once again and he raised his chakrams in defense. Nova jerked away, freeing her now torn sleeve from a point in his chakram. Koji slashed out, an inferno seemingly devouring his hand and weapon. The steam rose around the snow that melted around them as the flames engulfed the area. Nova leapt back and covered her eyes. Koji took the situation by the horns and jumped in, smashing the flat side of his chakram against her head.

Nova fell to the ground, knocked unconscious. Larxene immediately followed suit, falling to the ground as well.

Koji raced over to Axel, hoping to help his beaten Remnant.

"That," Axel gasped, "was fast." He pulled himself up, using the fence as support. He gave Koji a feeble grin. "That's cause I'm that good and you got my skizzils! Got it memorized?"

Koji let the pointy weapons dissinagrate. "Yeah, well you can keep your 'skizzils' to your self." Koji grumbled. "I just hope you didn't do too bad of damage to my DNA."

"Uh..." Axel cringed, his Remnant ears flattening back. "Well..."

"Larxene!" Koji exclaimed suddenly and raced to her side. He knew with her will broken by her Tamer it wouldn't matter but...

"Koji!" Came another cry. He looked up to see Tara racing over, Zexion on her shoulder. "Are you okay!?"

"I'm fine!" Koji grinned.

Tara's mouth dropped. "Koji... you look..."

"I-is it that noticeable...?" Koji pouted.

She shook her head. "Well no..."

Larxene stirred in her sleep and slowly opened her eyes.

"She's okay!" Koji cheered.

"That's a good thing why!?"

Larxene sat up and rubbed her eyes and groaned. "Headache..."

"She speaks..." Roxas muttered under his breath from beside her.

Tara's eyes widened as her mind processed what had happened. Someway, or somehow, Larxene was able to separate from her Tamer. It was possible in this state that she had maybe a few more minutes of being in her Nobody form. Then again, it wasn't something that was supposed to happen between a Remnant and a Tamer so truly only time could tell.

Larxene stared down at her hands. She clenched and unclenched them, as if to test her boundaries of will. Then she got up to her feet and everyone backed away to give her space. She wobbled on her feet and then straightened out. Taking a good look around, her gaze fell to a rest on Koji.

Koji stepped back a step, giving her a weak smile. He wondered if she remembered everything while she was under Nova's control.

"Nova!" Koji shouted suddenly and ran out of the alley to help her. It was a good thing this road was under construction a bit more down the road. If it hadn't, a crowd would've grown by now.

He held her up and her eyes fluttered open. Koji shook her but there was no response. Her eyes were an empty void. There was nothing inside.

Koji set her limp, lifeless body down gently in the street, tears in his eyes. He looked up to his friends and saw Larxene glaring at him.

"Tamer..." She growled, small sparks crackling around her.

Tara stepped back wondering what had fowled up her mood.

Axel was back in battle mode, ready to fight for his Tamer once again. "What's your problem!?"

Larxene's anger seemed to radiate off her body as electricity, growing as her anger expanded from her memories. "You filthy Tamers! Do you care nothing for your Remnants or are they just tools for your entertainment to you!?"

Koji jumped to his feet, all tears for Nova forgotten. "Hey! We aren't apart of the Celestial Trainers!"

"That's what they all said before they joined!" Larxene shot.

"But we aren't like that!"

"LAIR!!!" She shouted and the street lights around them lit up. "You're the same as any of them. All Tamers need to DIE!!!" The street lights burst at her final scream, causing it to rain sparks and shards of glass out onto the streets. The snow fizzled and melted in reply to the heat, causing steam to rise and blur their vision.

"Zexion!" Koji heard Tara cry and a burst of light added it's glory to the light display. He quickly threw himself into Larxene. They both skid a crossed the snow.

"Let's calm her down a bit." Tara said darkly. Zexion placed a hand on Larxene's shoulder and her eyes immediately dimmed. He started talking to her, his words smooth and calm but only a murmur to all ears but hers.

"What just happened?" Koji asked quietly.

"Zexion is giving her bit of a pep talk. He creates illusions you know."

Larxene gave Zexion a feeble smile, probably seeing someone other that Zexion in the first place, and changed back to her smaller self. She was going to be ticked off when she came around but at least she'll be Tamerless and way to small to hurt anyone.

Zexion picked up the spacey Remnant and handed it to Tara. "We can keep her for a bit but I don't know what to do about her situation. A Remnant without a Tamer is a Remnant without hope."

"I know, I know." Tara grumbled, taking her. "But if she was to be left alone the whole town could've been torn apart in attempt to kill us all off. Besides..." Tara's face lit up with glee. "She has information about the CT."

Koji sighed softly. "All in a days work I suppose..."

"We're not done yet." Tara said, shaking her head.

"Yes. We need to make sure you guys get home safely..." Zexion completed.

Star scowled as he contemplated what just happed. Nova had failed. Not only that but her Remnant had broke away, taking her will and leaving Nova an empty shell. Even worse, Koji had done it. He did it all. Remnants can't break away from Tamers unless a much more powerful heart pulled them away. Koji pulled her back and at the same time, knocking the Tamer unconscious, letting Larxene make the final break. The Celestial Trainers are intrigued by him but they don't know what power Koji held...

...And it was growing more and more everyday.

Star turned and portaled himself away. The poison would wear off in one more hour. He had to be in time for the new kid's initiation. Abyss was it?

The stars twinkled and Nova's emotionless body was propped against the wall. She stared down at her hands, not caring or even the slightest bit interested. In fact, not one thought had entered her mind since she woke up. Nova was gone. Inside was nothing but hollow.

"Ello? What have we here?" A small blonde Remnant hopped up into her lap. He took a quick look at her clothes. "CT!!!" He screamed and scurried away.

Five minutes later his head popped back around the corner. He snuck up closer and poked her. When he got no reaction he boldly stepped back up onto her lap and stared her in the eyes. It was then he could tell.

"Nothing inside eh?" He said in a mock laugh. He had a mild British accent. Thoughts and plans came to him there. He was afraid of a Tamer even though he had that longing instinct the rest had. He didn't want to be forced into the CT. But... what if he had a broken Tamer like her? He would be in control and not the other way around. He could be normal once again without needing to be a slave to her mind.

He rubbed his hands together and laughed a small evil laugh. This might work...


	12. Chapter 12: Return of the Worst

Chapter Twelve: Return of the Worst

Axel still hadn't changed back. Koji was grateful that it was Saturday, for he wasn't willing to go to school after dealing with Larxene, but he was still left restless. He wondered if Tara had got anywhere with Larxene or if Nova was okay. The thoughts that went through Axel's mind probably no more different. Left unanswered like Koji's, but unlike Koji, who was staying active, continued to lie curled up on his Tamer's bed. Maybe an occasional twitch of his ear when he heard an unfamiliar noise but over all he just laid there, moping.

The more the day went on the more Koji wondered if Axel ever would go back to normal. Or as normal as a Remnant gets. The sad truth was that Axel's body was now stuck in limbo between Remnant and Nobody... and it was his entire fault. His body now recognized him as Remnant so he couldn't change back to what he already was, but it also recognized his as a Nobody. Koji could only hope that, by the off chance, he would eventually revert back.

The whole idea was probably killing Axel.

Koji walked into the bathroom for probably the millionth time that day to stare into the mirror. He rubbed under his eyes, as if the markings would rub off at his touch. Sadly they didn't and Koji could only sigh. He wished he hadn't of gone and duplicated Axel's weapons. He wished something better would have come up in his head and he could've ended it a lot smoother. Instead, Axel's markings were plastered on his own face.

He gave a final rub at the triangular like shapes and walked out of the bathroom. "Oh, Axel!" He called. He stumbled into his bedroom where Axel lay pitifully on his bed. Koji walked up and sat right next to him.

"Let's go somewhere."

"No." Axel answered flatly.

Koji frowned. "Please?"

"No." Axel answered in the same, sharp, dull tone.

Koji sighed and reached his hand behind Axel's head. Then, just very gently, scratched behind his Remnant ears.

A soft purr rumbled deep within his throat. Axel laid himself out, flat on his stomach, now completely relaxed and bliss.

"Come on." Koji whispered gently, as if enchanting Axel. "Harry's house doesn't sound bad does it?"

"No." Axel purred. "It doesn't."

"Shall we go?"

"That sounds nice..." Axel muttered dreamily. "Let's go..."

"Promise?"

"Promise..."

Koji scratched behind his ears a bit longer, letting his purrs become the seal of truth. Then, he sat up and walked out of the room, calling for Roxas.

Axel snapped to reality, jerking up in bed. "Wait? What! No we cannot go to Harry's!"

"You already said we could!" Koji yelled down the hall. "Besides, you promised!"

"You... you made me do it!" Axel yelled back.

Koji came back in, Roxas on his shoulder. "I just want to visit. It be better for you anyway then moping around here."

Axel's ears flattened back with irritation. "Fine."

Koji crept down the back ally, walking slowly so Axel could stay up on two feet.

"This place is creepy..." Roxas muttered.

"That's why no one uses it." Koji grinned evilly to himself. "Almost ever one in this town is superstitious. They think it's haunted back here because of a killing that occurred twenty years ago."

"Yes, I seem to remember my mom telling me that story when I was a kid..." A voice confirmed. "Very tragic and brutal. Monstrous really..."

Koji spun around and faced a CT member. His hood was up and stood several feet away.

"Twice in two days... Wow, you guys are getting active." Koji growled.

"We try our best." He bowed slightly. "But I'm a new member. Initiated last night to be exact. I wanted to see how my little Koji has grown."

Koji backed up. He recognized that voice... but from where?

"And he's alive and kicking!" Axel snapped. "Now get going or I'll shove my chakram up uncomfortable places so hard you--!"

"--I'm not leaving." The member interrupted. "Not yet. I still have unfinished business with Koji here."

"Who... Who are you?" Koji asked.

The member laughed. "Call me Abyss. That's my name now. Tamer to Xaldin."

Koji tried so hard to remember where he had heard his voice from. It came somewhere in his deep dark nightmares...

"What do you want!?" Roxas growled.

"A peace treaty." He hummed. "I want you to join the Celestial Trainers. Of course you will have to break their will. If you won't come with I'll have the privilege of dealing with you myself."

"Koji..." Roxas whined silently to his Tamer.

It was then everything snapped into place. His voice, the way he talked to him, and even the absences at school!

"No! I-it can't be you! You can't possibly be a Tamer!"

Abyss laughed. "Oh but it is nerd!" He pulled off his hood revealing a very familiar face.

"Zeek..." Axel growled. "And to think that wasn't the end of you!"

"Is that a yes Koji?" He grinned darkly.

"Never!"

Zeek's grin grew to a maniacal smile. "Good! I always wanted to get some payback!"

"Not if I can help it!" Axel dashed towards Abyss. Then he leapt at him like a tiger to it's prey, bring out his chakram for the kill.

Abyss stood motionless. Axel then burst into light just as he was about to hit. Axel suddenly found the ground much farther away then it should be. He hit it head first, tumbling a crossed the cement till he finally slid to a stop.

"I figured he'd revert soon." Abyss laughed. "With Eclipse's help I was able to pinpoint when!"

Another burst of light appeared at his side, revealing Xaldin. Xaldin swung his spears around him in a fighting stance.

"Time to die Koji Adams!" Abyss pointed to Koji. "Kill--!"

"Enough Abyss!" A voice cut in, interrupting Abyss's command. "You're needed."

"Now!? Are you kidding me Shadow!?"

Shadow said nothing.

Abyss muttered a few words to himself angrily. Then shot, "Next time nerd!"

"I'll remember to schedule your funeral!" Koji shot back.

Abyss disappeared in a cloudy black portal along with Xaldin.

"Phew!" Roxas gasped. "If it wasn't for the job change, we'd be in a whole lot of trouble!"

"He wasn't summoned." Shadow said plainly.

"Then... you just made the whole thing up?" Koji asked.

Shadow winked at him.

"But why?"

Shadow stared at the sky for a bit before finally looking back at him. "I dunno... Kicks?" He then laughed as if he heard a hilarious joke. "Yeah, kicks maybe! I really don't know!"

Roxas nervously hid behind Koji's neck. "Well that is... random..."

Shadow shrugged. "Abyss is going to find out soon. I'd run. Run like an emo boy from sunlight. Oh and..." he held a passed out Axel Remnant to Koji. "Bring your friend with."

Koji cautiously took him. "Thanks...?"

Shadow laughed. "He thanks me now! Thanks me! Hahahaha!"

Roxas pointed to his head mouthing the word 'mind.'

Koji nodded and turned to leave.

"Good bye now Koji Adams!" Shadow called after him. "I hope to see you again!" He laughed some more and portaled away.

"Where'd he come from, the mental hospital?" Koji grumbled.

"Maybe!" Roxas laughed.

Koji sighed. "I have a lot to tell Harry when I get there..."


	13. Chapter 13: Drunken Goodbyes

Chapter Thirteen: Drunken Goodbyes

Koji waited at Harry's table while he got a drink for Axel.

"Oh, my head..." Axel moaned, rubbing his head slowly. "I'm so tired..."

Koji drummed his fingers on the table as he watched Harry give him a miniature cup. Axel eagerly drank it, gulping it down so fast Koji doubted he could taste it.

"It's all we had." Harry said, sitting opposite of Koji. "I'm just glad we had a bit of juice left!"

Axel slammed the cup down, eyeing it suspiciously. "It tastes funny... where have I tasted it before?" Axel leaned back a bit, trying to remember. He gave up, shaking his head, to tired to think too hard.

"You're imagining things." Harry reassured. "I'm not trying to poison you or anything."

Koji looked over at him. "What kind of juice is it?"

Harry shrugged. "Like I know. It was in a pitcher so I poured him some."

Axel smiled innocently. "Do you have more?"

"No." Harry scooted away a pinch, contemplating the meaning of his smile.

Axel started rocking back and forth. "It was good... really good..."

Roxas slid down Koji's arm. "Axel? Are you okay?"

"Never better!" Axel said quickly jumping to his feet but slipping backwards. He let out a loud snort and stood back up.

"Axel..." Koji motioned him to come closer.

Axel stepped forward, sidestepping and tripping this way and that. He stumbled to Koji in a zigzag, finally tripping and face planting it in front of him. He rolled over and burst into uncontrollable giggles.

Roxas sniffed the cup. "Al... Alcohol? Harry, you said it was juice!"

"Wha--?" Harry snatched the cup from him, taking a sniff for himself. "Bu-- how!? No one in my family drinks and the color isn't even a beer color! It's purple!"

Roxas rubbed his nose. "It smelled like a mixture of kool-aid and alcohol to me..."

Koji picked Axel up by his tail. "Calm down Axel..."

Axel hung limply for a few seconds. The he started swinging himself back and forth, giggling like a maniac. Koji watched this odd action for a minute before dropping him. Axel fell, reminding Koji of a wet towel hitting the ground. Not one bounce, Axel lay sprawled out on the kitchen floor.

Suddenly he jumped up. "Again! Again!" He laughed like a demented tellytubby. He stumbled over to the table. He burst into a song that got cut off abruptly. "I believe in cookies!!!" -Thwack!-

Roxas brought his palm to his forehead.

Axel fell backwards form the table leg he hit. "Whoa..." He walked forward again and hit the table leg once more. "Whoa!" He got up and was about to try another time when Koji picked him up and set him on the table.

"I've never seen Axel like this." He looked over at Harry. "Hopefully, I'll never have to see this again."

"I-I don't understand!" Harry stuttered "No one in this house drinks! We are, like, anti-alcohol or something!"

Koji shook his head. "Best thing now is to keep an eye on--" Koji looked over at the table. "...Where did Axel go?"

A sound from above them interrupted them, telling them all you need to know.

-Pitter-patter-pitter-patter-pitter-patter-pitter-patter-...

They followed the sound a crossed the ceiling.

"Oh snap, HE'S IN THE VENILATION SHAFT!!!" Harry screamed.

"Quick!" Koji yelled. "Find a plan! We can't let him get stuck!"

Koji, Harry and Roxas split up, searching for a way to get him out. Harry was the one who had the most brilliant idea, shoving an item into Koji's hand and leading them to a metal grate, blowing out cool air. They unscrewed the grate and peered into the long, metal tunnel.

"Here goes..." Koji mumbled, rolling a ball of string into it. Koji watched it roll into the darkness, tightening his hold on the other end of the string. When he thought he had waited long he gave a gentle tug. When nothing happened he began to slowly reel it in, hoping Axel might see it and his drunken personality would find it fun.

He suddenly felt a small tug at the other end. Koji quietly laughed to himself and pulled a bit harder. He had caught Axel and there was no way he could win this fight. Koji slowly pulled it in bit by bit, feeling the struggle for who would win possession over the string from the other end. Suddenly Koji felt an overwhelming jerk, pulling him in.

"Oh sh--!!!" He gasped as his shoulder hit the wall. "What in the--!?"

Koji pulled a bit more, ignoring the burning pain in all of his arm's joints. It came a bit more willingly and he dragged the rest in.

Out popped a growling Axel, clenched on the string by his teeth. Koji held him like a hooked fish out to Harry. Harry held out a jar and Koji cut the string, dropping him into it. Harry quickly applied the lid but Axel gladly ignored him as he gnawed at the string.

"Vicious little bugger ain't he..." Harry tapped the glass. Axel growled at him and went back to his string.

"Yes, alcohol brings out the beast in you doesn't it?" Koji snickered.

"I-is he going to be okay?" Roxas asked timidly from Koji's head.

The door slammed open and Tara paraded in. Koji took note of Zexion and Larxene in her book bag.

"Good morning starshine! The earth says HELLOOOOOoooo!!!" Axel yelled. He fell backwards, giggling hysterically.

Tara glared at the jar. "...Why... Is Axel in a jar?" She wrinkled her nose. "And why is he acting like that? I don't see what's so funny."

"He's drunk." Roxas put bluntly.

"Drunk?" Tara asked in a weird tone. "How the heck did you get beer? Harry, doesn't your family think drugs and stuff is the demon's food or something?"

Harry frowned. "It's not like that. My folks just don't like it and decided to make a statement, that's all."

"I thought your dad might have study it or something. 'Ghost in a can!' Ha!"

Harry looked up at the ceiling. "Maybe that's why..."

"Harry, you don't seriously think your dad was researching beer for a demon do you?" Koji snorted.

Harry grinned. "That would explain it."

Koji shook his head.

"And I see they didn't wash off eh Koji?" Tara joked and rubbed at Koji's new face markings.

"Don't touch me!" He shot and slapped her hands away in a girlish manner.

"Don't worry Koji." Roxas laughed. "Keep at it and you'll be able to pull off a cosplay like no other!"

"Or wear make up." Harry snickered.

"Better knock it off and I'll break your face like no other!" Koji threatened between clenched teeth. All his threat got though was more laughs.

Tara put her book bag down next to them. "Yeah, well Larxene wanted to say goodbye before she left."

"Goodbye?" Roxas asked.

"But we don't even know her!" Koji added.

"True." Larxene said, stepping onto Tara's hand. "You guys DID save me though. I just wanted to thank you. I thought all Tamers were naturally just greedy. You guys are different." She looked sadly at Tara's palm. "I can't connect to another Tamer, for Jillian-- I mean, Nova is already my Tamer. Or was..." She looked up at Koji with a confused look before continuing. "I'm already tied to the CT. They have ways to force Remnants to bond with Tamers."

Tara let out a weird gagging sound. "Might I add that this is painful both mentally and physically for the Remnant and Tamer. It's said to be worse than dying. A life torture. Unless of course you were to break away... and end up like Nova."

Koji shuddered at the sound of her name. He had a nightmare about her last night and he knew it was going to last the rest of his life. That battle... he FELT the connection get severed. Between the knock out to Nova and the constant pull for freedom from Larxene... Tara didn't seem bothered at all.

"Anyways..." Larxene grumbled irritably. "I need to go away. Far away where I can hide out till this whole thing tides over. I CAN trust you to stop the CT right?"

"Of course!" Tara answered surely. "You survive till then okay?"

Larxene nodded.

"You can trust Tara." Zexion told her proudly. Koji jumped at his voice. He hadn't said anything this whole time.

Tara put her down and she walked to the open door. "Bye! Stay alive okay?"

"Bye!" Everyone said simultaneously and even a random shout of a 'I'll miss you!' but Koji couldn't tell who had said it. He watched the small Remnant leave. He worried about Larxene's safety when Tara interrupted his thoughts.

"So, about Axel in the jar? Keep him there."

"We have to let him out sometime." Koji defended.

Tara shook her head. "He's drunk. We don't want him raping Roxas or anything."

Roxas face grew red at the AkuRoku joke.

"Come on Tara! We all know Axel's as straight as a board!" Koji continued.

Axel giggled. "At the Oregon Vortex."

Harry stifled a laugh, Koji glared at him, Tara shook her head, Roxas blushed even more and Zexion looked at Koji with a confused look.

"Oregon Vortex?" He asked.

"Yeah." Harry choked down his laughs. "It's a place in the state of Oregon where things aren't as they seem. A perfectly straight building will look twisted and uneven. People look taller standing on the left side of a friend and shorter when on the right, even when the friend didn't even move. It's a bizarre place..."

Koji flicked the glass of the jar. "You're not helping Axel..."

Axel giggled more. "You all will go BOOM BOOM!!!"

Koji grabbed the jar from Harry and shook it up. "Get un-drunk already!" He whined.


	14. Chapter 14: Shadow's Fall

Chapter Fourteen: Shadow's Fall

Shadow stood in the middle of the circular room. Most people that had been reading this would probably think of the room "Where Nothing Gathers" surrounded with white, looming chairs. This room was nothing like that. Around him the chairs had different elevations alright but were much shorter and the height differences were smaller. They were pitch black and covered in black velvet. His own chair, the shortest one, was empty. The other members of the organization surrounded him, their glares burning into him. The walls were a deep red, like life blood spilled a crossed the sand. Small, dim torches close to the wall made the crimson colors churn and glow, making most of everything a silhouette.

The room wasn't even a circle. It was more of an octagon, or pentagon. He could never memorize which was which. Each wall had curtains of black velvet as well, each pulled back to reveal the bloody color. Above him, where instead of a flat ceiling it came together like a pyramid, a black, iron chandelier hung down. Even it's fire glowed dimly and it's orange colored windows displayed dancing colors a crossed the floor where he stood. That was red to. The floor shimmered like water in such a way that if you didn't know better, you'd think you could dive into the crimson color and play in the blood.

Shadow stole a glance forward and winced. Before him was a black throne, apparently superior to the other chairs. Skulls rested on either side of the top, spears skewered through them for effect. Iron bars curled away and a torn, midnight material weaved in and out of it's maze. Embedded rubies twinkled with the sickening lighting.

The member who sat in this grotesque throne, the one Shadow had looked at, was in shadow like the rest of the members. No expression could be shown but Shadow could tell from the gazes on him and the aura that seemed to radiate off of the lead member, that he was not happy.

"Shadow." His voice seemed to drop the temperature around him by a hundred degrees. "I am not pleased with you."

'No, really?' Shadow thought bitterly to himself but kept his mouth shut. Like it wasn't that obvious.

"You know well our enemy, yet you loom over him like a shadow to it's owner. Why? I can obviously point out that you don't spy on him for the organization's purposes."

Shadow stared at his boots, glowing red from the light. Why must they be so harsh? What drives this hatred towards this kid anyway? Why was it any of their business?

"Shadow," A softer voice begged from the closest seat to the throne of death. "It doesn't have to be like this! Why break such a simple rule? There is no cause in such!"

"Silence Star!" The ruler snapped.

"Ha!" Shadow snorted, yelling louder than the superior. "Cause? You know not of my cause!"

"Shadow..." Star whimpered. "I thought we were friends."

"Friends?" Shadow raised an eyebrow, though he doubted they could see it in the dim light. "We WERE friends Star. But that was before we were Tamers. Before Remnants, Nobodies and Heartless. Before you decided to dedicate your whole life to someone who treats you, treats all of us, like we are nothing but disposable tools! Friends? I think not!"

"ENOUGH!!" The superior roared. "I care not of your social problems. What I care about is the matter at hand. Koji!"

A dark murmur wisped through the room. Then grew silent once again.

"All the stalking you do can be waved. It's what you did a few days back is what is intolerable. You interfered with a fellow member during their mission. If it wasn't for you Koji would no longer be a problem!"

"Excuse me!? You sent ABYSS to do that. Abyss!! Are you out of your mind!? He would have slowly tortured him till his last breaths, making sure that each dying gulp of air was in agony! He would have made sure his death was humiliating and filled with horror! All of that for his twisted revenge!"

The superior waved the thought away with his hand. "How he chooses to carry out his mission is no business of mine."

Shadow could feel his blood boil and his Remnant shifted uneasily under his hood. Something that hasn't happened in a long time...

Abyss let out a loud growl. "Someone needs to pay the price!! I'll gladly splatter what little of guts you have a crossed these walls in exchange for Koji's! You tick me off more than him!!" Abyss sat back after his outburst and glared at his lap. "Now that I think about it, you both tick me off the same way. Just looking at you..." He glared.

Shadow smiled in mild amusement. It would be so easy to just say one word. Many came to mind. One simple sentence and Abyss would be tearing at his throat. One utterance. That easy.

As if reading his mind the superior held out a file. "Which brings to my attention other matters of the past. Since day one you have caused nothing but problems! Just because you don't have Axel as a Remnant does not mean you must make up for his absence!!"

This only made Shadow beam, his fanged teeth visible like white to black.

The leader opened up the crimson file and began listing many of his 'unnecessary actions' that were bad enough to even put on file.

"You parked a random car in our main hall, put itching powder in the laundry detergent, put sleeping gas into Dusk's air freshener (Shadow smiled even bigger when he heard Dusk growl) painted the Heartless resurrection room PINK!!" The superior paused as several giggles echoed in the room from a few members, including a snort from Shadow. "You also unscrewed every stinkin light bulb in this whole castle, set fire to our watch tower, filled the prison with flowers, put hair removal cream in several deodorant sticks, filled the basement with water so you could water skii, released over a million crickets throughout the castle, released chickens into the castle to help clean up the crickets..." He slammed the file shut. "Do I need to read more!?"

That file was pretty thick. To Shadow they were all well acquired trophies. So instead of hanging his head and apologizing he stood motionlessly with a huge smirk.

The superior put the file beside his throne. "I think it is time to take things a bit more seriously. I only do what I feel is best for the organization." He looked behind Shadow.

Shadow turned and found himself staring at two empty chairs. One was Nova's before her heart had been shattered. The other belonged to Twilight. The first Tamer that had had an encounter with Koji. The Tamer that had gotten punished for his incompetence before they realized Koji's potential. Horror filled Shadow, which was an emotion he hadn't felt since he was a kid. An orphan all alone in the world where many wished him harm because of his mother and her thieving ways.

Shadow shook the memories from his head turned to the superior, horrified. "You can't mean-!"

"Yes Shadow. You have gotten out of hand. I fear it is time you must be dealt with. If you have no use for us then you are no use to anyone."

Shadow looked to Eclipse for help. The one that actually had listened to him. The one who understood his longing to belong. The one... who found out the connection between him and Koji... the connection he dared not even whisper...

Eclipse looked away. He wanted no part of this.

Shadow recoiled as the superior stood up from his throne. "It is time for you to expire Shadow."

"No!!" Shadow shouted. He found himself backing into Twilight's chair as the superior came closer. Abyss smiled with a bloodlust gleam in his eye, Tears fell out from under Star's hood, Eclipse stared numbly at the floor, Dusk laughed silently, Night was emotionless...

None were willing to help. He looked over the dwindling Celestial Trainers with pleading eyes but none wanted to speak up. After all he never belonged to begin with...

Shadow flung his hands out, causing the superior to jump back. "Get back!"

"You cannot escape your punishment Shadow. You have already done the crime."

"I won't let you take me!" His Remnant stepped out of his hood and onto his shoulder defiantly.

"I won't let you harm Shadow!" He cried.

The Superior's eyes burned with hatred and anger. "You let your Remnant regain it's free will!? What do you hope to gain from that!? You have only made yourself weaker!!"

Shadow ignored the furious whispers through the room. "Koji's Remnants have free will! Is he weak!? I have yet to see you beat him!"

The superior glared fiercely. It was then Shadow saw it in his eyes. Saw what he should have seen long ago.

"You're... afraid of him. Aren't you?"

The leader lunged at him, only to be kicked back by a sudden burst of light Shadow didn't need to summon. His own Remnant had grown since their first encounter. Shadow reckoned he was way more powerful than any of the brain washed Remnants here.

His Remnant lowered his foot from the powerful kicked that had just been delivered. "Don't touch my Tamer." He growled more menacingly than Shadow had ever believed he could. Good thing his Remnant held no hard feelings for what he had done to him.

"Fool!" The superior cried, jumping up from the ground. He snapped his fingers, summoning his own Remnant to full strength.

"Hit and run?" Shadow suggested to his Remnant. "We can't win this you know." He watched Abyss summon his own Remnant and Dusk stand up cautiously.

He nodded. Then he summoned his weapon as quick as lightning shouting "DANCE WATER, DANCE!!" Shadow felt the brief moment of floating in water before catching his footing on the floor. The room went black as the flames were diminished. Smoke filled his lungs and he clung to his last friend.

"Demyx!" He shouted confused.

Demyx mustered up all the courage he could from his Remnant instincts and summoned a portal out.

The bright moon blinded Shadow as he took a breath of his coveted fresh air. He stepped forward with a stumble, finding out he was out and away. He coughed out a bit of water and smoke, leaning over the fountain before him.

A few minutes passed of just silence and waiting.

"They'll hunt you down you know." Demyx said unnecessarily.

"I know." Shadow answered quietly.

A few more minutes passed by until he spoke again. "Do you... do you still want me to call you Shadow?"

Shadow remained quiet for a few more minutes. Then he whispered, "You don't have to." He stood up and laughed. "I don't think I'm apart of them anymore."

Demyx let out a small whimper. "All this because Koji is--"

Shadow shushed him. "They may be listening! They have many spies remember?" Shadow sat down by the fountain and put his head into his arms. "Like Koji will care though. I'm just as bad as any of them. I'm just a mistake! My dad even said it!"

Demyx curled up next to Shadow. "You're not a mistake. You're just different. Difference can be a good thing."

"Where'd you pull that up?" Shadow asked sleepily.

"My mom." Demyx replied.

Shadow looked up at the stars for a while as his eyelids grew heavier.

After a while, Demyx shivered. "We're sleeping here tonight?" He asked.

"Yeah." Shadow answered spacily.

"Goodnight Kenji." He smiled.

"Goodnight." Kenji answered.

He was Shadow no longer…


	15. Chapter 15: Swedish Fish

Chapter Fifteen: Swedish Fish

Koji sleepily walked up the stairs, dragging his feet. He had stayed up late doing homework and now he was ready to crash. The only thing he wanted to do was to crash on his bed.

Once he reached his room he stuck his head out of the open window for a last time, smelling the calm night air. It was soothing and it seemed to still everything. The stars twinkled in the clear night sky, a rare sight for the oncoming spring. Koji prefered the winter and he hated to see it go so soon. Christmas seemed like it was yesterday and the snowy roads were dissapearing. Storms instead were more frequent now and everyday seemed to pour down rain.

Koji pulled his head back inside and closed the door. One last survey of the room told his his Remnants were asleep on the bundle on blankets he had set up in the corner. Then, with a final sigh, he dropped onto his bed and closed his eyes. Imediatley his dreams came, drifting tendrils wafted into his mind and beckoned him to stay forever.

The night lay still. It was calm through the whole house and nothing, it seemed, could disturb it.

But nothing lasts forever.

"Psst! Koji!" A soft whisper hissed into his ear.

Koji rolled over, causing the whisperer to fall. "Koji!" He growled.

"What!?" Koji snapped sitting upright in bed. He looked down at Axel who was now sprawled out in his lap.

"There's someone at the window."

"Axel, this is the second story window! How could there be somebody there?"

Just then Koji heard a click at the window like something small was hitting it. He heard it again and slowly got out of bed. Another click and Koji flung open the window.

"Knock it off!!" He snarled outside.

"Psst! Koji, are you awake?" A hooded figurew called out. A CT member.

Koji grew furious at the fact the CT was now disurbing him during his hours of sleep. "No! I'm tucked into bed and snoring away!" He whispered loudly back.

"Oh, in that case..." He threw something at the window and Koji felt it hit his forehead and bounce away. He smacked his face in attempt to rid himself of the sting and threw a stuffed bear back.

"Stop!!"

The cloaked figure shrugged. "Yet?"

"Duh! Wh- what the heck are you throwing at my window anyway, rocks!?"

The figure held up a box and grinned. "Swedish Fish." He then popped one of the red, gummy candies into his mouth.

Koji growled.

"Hey." The CT member looked around really quick. "Can I come in?"

"Uh, NO!" Koji snarled. "Why would I let you in!?"

"'Cause you love meh." The member grinned.

"No! And I definatley don't love you!" Koji slammed the window shut.

"Pleeeeezuh!!" He heard the figure yell up at the window. Koji winced and wondered if he had woken up Winter.

He quickly flung the window back open and shushed him. "You're going to wake up the neighbors!"

"PEEEEZZEE!?" He shouted louder.

Koji cringed. "FINE!! Fine, just shut up!"

He slammed the window shut and and went down stairs where the CT member had already ran around to his door and was ringing the door bell repeatedly.

"SHH!! You're going to wake mom up!" Koji shushed and pulled him in.

The member pulled off his hood revealing familiar jet black hair and outlined eyes. He looked around with extreme fascination and pink eyes wide open.

"Wow!" He gasped. "So this is where you live! I love it! The beauty!" He took a look at the table by the door. "Aw! You were so cute as a baby! I wish I had baby pictures! Aw, what are you doing here? So adorible!"

Koji slammed the picture he was looking at face down into the table. "Stop that Shadow. Why are you here!?"

Shadow gave his a grin of adoration. "Aw, you remember my name! How sweet!"

Koji with held the temtation to back-hand the Tamer. "Answer the question!"

Shadow looked up at the ceiling as if it was more interesting than Koji. "Come now, that's not how you treat a guest."

"But you-- I didn't-- GUH! Just tell me what you want!!" Koji yelled.

"Koji? What going on down there?" A voice called down the stairs.

Koji flinched, then cringed. "Nothing mom! Absolutly nothing! I'm just having homework problems."

There was a pause. "Well then leave it be for now and finish later!"

"Okay! I will!" He called. Then waited long enough for her to fall back to sleep.

When he turned back around, Shadow was gone.

Koji raced into the kitchen to find Shadow comfortably at home, one of Koji's Dr. Peppers in his hands and his feet crossed up on the table. The chair was tilted back and he was grinning at the two Remnants that glared at him from the posts of the chair in front of him.

"Shadow!"

Shadow looked up and raised his beverage. "Hey! Koji! Sit down and chillax for a sec! I've been itching to have a very intense conversation with you, like school or the upcoming carnival or something."

Koji kicked one of the cair legs, causing it to slip acrossed the floor. Shadow fell back with a "Whoa!" and a loud 'thud.'

"Cut to the chase! What do you want!? If it's about joining the CT I'd rather be dead!"

Shadow pulled himself up, laughing maniacally. "I almost was! Apparently the Celestial Trainers can't handle a few harmless jokes."

"Almost... dead?" Koji asked. "What do you mean?"

"Like I said. They are very dull people and are fun-suckers. Swedish Fish?" Shadow held the open end of the box towards Koji.

Koji stood there for a second while he contemplated the situation. He didn't think the CT would really try to kill someone over a joke. That would mean Shadow wasn't telling the whole story. Then again Koji had a feeling his jokes weren't 'harmless fun.'

"Okay... so you and the CT..."

"Broke up!" Shadow cried out. "We weren't meant for each other anyway. It was never love!"

"SHH! You're to loud! Sheesh. So does this mean... you got kicked out?"

Shadow grinned a big, fanged grin. "Yep."

"No really, why'd you get kicked out." Koji growled.

Shadow leaned back in his chair and took a sip of his soda. Then he looked off into the distance of some far off memory. "It... It was because I was helping you."

"Helping me!?" Koji stepped back a few steps. "Now why were you doing that?"

Shadow looked at him sideways through an open eye. Then he placed a hand on his shoulder and leaned all of his weight onto Koji, looking him in the eyes.

"Face it pal, you're doomed. A lost cause. The center definition of hopeless with sprinkles of pitiful on the top."

Koji quickly pushed Shadow's hand off, causing him to fall onto his face. "Try saying that to my face!"

Shadow snickered and stood up, brushing himself off. "I just did."

"Now Shadow, let's not cause a fight." A small voice said.

"Who said that?" Koji asked the voice.

He noticed a small Remnant creep out from behind Shadow's neck. "I did." He whimpered.

"Demyx?" Roxas and Axel said simutaniously.

Demyx recoiled into Shadow's black hair. Shadow genlty carressed his timid Remnant.

"It's okay Demyx, these are the good guys. The ones we are going to be with from now on."

"EXCUSE ME!?" Koji exclaimed. "What do you mean be with from now on!?"

Shadow put his hands on his hips in a girl like fashon. "Well we got to have a roof above our heads. We can't just sleep outside in the stormy season."

"Fine by me." Axel snorted.

"Well my mom wouldn't agree but that won't be a problem." Koji hung his head. "So I guess you can stay but I want none of those 'harmless jokes' of yours 'kay?"

"What!?" Axel cried. "Why!?"

Koji sighed. "His Remnant has free will doesn't it? That kinda makes him on our team and he needs our help."

Shadow shook Koji's hand violently. "Why thank you Koji but I didn't plan to stay. In fact I came to take you away!"

Roxas glared at him. "Away?"

"Questions, questions! You guys are never satisfied are you?" He paused. "Well, you want to take down the CT? I can lead them to you. Sadly I can't just portal you there because the portaling thingy came with the Celestial Trainer contract. I'm here to lead you there. With the three of us we can do it!"

"Three?" Koji asked and grumbled when Shadow's expression told him he had asked another question.

"Me, you and Tara of course. I've already contacted her and she said she needed to do something first and we'll meet her there. She at least likes Swedish Fish." Shadow looked at Koji for a second before holding the box out to him once again. "Swedish Fish?"

"You've already talked to Tara..." Koji mumbled, ignoring Shadow. "Okay, we'll go."

"Sweet!" Shadow clapped his hands together. "We leave at dawn!!" He exclaimed in an epic voice, raising a finger above his head. Then he gave Koji an evil look. "My dawn of course. Now it's ten-thirty and I vote I sleep in your room. Any objections? Great!" Shadow didn't even give Koji a chance to talk.

Shadow danced up the stairs and started opening doors. "Which one is your room?"

Koji opened his door. "This one. Now calm down." He pulled a blanket out of his closet and threw it on the floor next to his bed. "You sleep there. Kay?"

Shadow leaned in closer, studying Koji.

"Uh... what?" Koji asked.

Shadow looked a bit closer. Then took two fingers and traced below his eyes. "Meep!"

"Ah! Hey!" Koji bat his hand away and jumped back. "Don't touch me!"

Shadow looked at him with an evil look. "You got Axel's eye markings. Someone's been getting serious about the CT haven't they?"

"Just go to bed Shadow!" Koji snapped. He flopped onto his bed and rolled towards the window, away from Shadow. He heard a snicker and something about more Swedish Fish. Then Shadow getting under his blanket. He looked over at his Remnants in the corner who were now glaring at him feircly.

"Hey Koji?"

"What!?"

"I'm really glad to meet you."

Koji rolled over to give Shadow a confuzzled look. Shadow didn't turn to look at him, but continued to stare at the ceiling. He had a content look in his eyes and the constant mischevious twinkle was nowhere to be seen.

"Erm..." _What can I say to that?_ Koji thought silently. "Thanks?"

"Nice room!" He laughed and the twinkle was back. He rolled over so his back was to Koji and his laughs died gently.

Koji rolled away as well, quite confused by what had happened. Yet again he ended up drifting to sleep with thoughts bubbling over in his head.


	16. Chapter 16: A Train to Between

Chapter Sixteen: A Train to Between

"OOOOF!!" Koji felt all of his breath go as a heavy force landed on his stomach.

"Good morning starshine!" A loud, obnoxious voice yelled. "The earth says helloooo!"

"Ge'off!" Koji pushed him off and flung the covers back over his head. "It's still dark!"

Shadow shook his finger. "Ah, ah, ah! My dawn Koji. Get up! We have to go now! Get pack with as little as possible and anything that we could need!" We then walked over to his napping Remnants and pulled the blanket out from under them, sending them flying into the air. "Get up! We got to go! Time time time! It's the key!" He then started digging through Koji's closet.

Koji growled. "Come on..."

"Up! Dressed!" He threw some clothes at him.

Koji peeled them off his face. "Uh... Shadow? You can't mean..."

"Yes! Tis, a mission. Dress the part." He started laughing.

Koji looked down at the organization uniform. "You want me to look wacked out and like you?"

"Hey..." Shadow turned and glared at him. "You can't wack out. You can wack someone _out_ but you cant wack out as in a look."

Koji sighed. This guy just couldn't get offended could he? "Fine, fine. Just give me a little bit."

"Now Koji, listen to whatever Shadow says okay?" Tara's voice said sternly over the phone.

"Why...?" Koji whined. The last thing he wanted to do was listen to Shadow. He seemed a bit off his rocker to Koji.

"Because!" Tara huffed. "Shadow knows what he is doing! He's taking you somewhere even Sora would have difficulties getting to! This is a world between worlds! A dimention between dimentions! A realm between realms!"

"I get it!" Koji moaned. "Just tell me how long you are going to take to get where we are!"

He heard Tara sigh on the other line. "Koji... I'm dealing with some new things that have popped up. It involves... Nova."

Koji felt his blood run cold. "Nova?"

Just then he heard the whistle of the train blow.

Shadow grabbed Koji's phone and snatched it shut. "Come on! We have to go now! The train is leaving without us!"

"Snap!" Koji exclaimed and ran full speed out the double doors to the train platform. He saw the train start to pick up speed and he ran to the doors and jumped on with Shadow right behind him.

"Uh..." One of the emloyees (or whatever you call the people who work on trains) looked at them with a weird expression. "Tickets?"

"Oh! Right!" Koji pulled the ticket out of his pocket and handed it to the worker. Shadow did as well and he punched them with a weird hole-puncher.

"Here you are. Enjoy the trip!" He smiled and opened the door to let them in.

Koji wade his way down the hallway, looking out the dark windows for any sign of anything. He gave up when Shadow remarked they were in a tunnel and opened a door to a compartment with two seats facing each other. He sat on one side and bounced on the cushion. Then deciding it was okay, layed back with his head to the window and pressed his feet agaisnt the wall. Shadow flopped down on the seat opposite of Koji and imediatly took a lounging position, his elbow against the rim of the window and his hand curled under his chin.

"Comfortable are we?"

Koji yawned. "I'm just tired cause _**someone**_ wouldn't let me sleep in."

"I didn't want your mom to find out." Shadow grinned. "That can lead to very _uncomfortable_ situations."

Koji waved his comment away and rolled away so that he was facing the wall. Then he himslef into a ball and fell asleep.

Koji walked back into the compartment. Shadow was looking spacily out at the setting sun. It was touching the water, creating brilliant colors of aqua, reds, oranges, yellows and a tint of green in the water. They've been sitting on this train since before the break of day and yet they have not talked. Koji was at least releifed his Remants had gotten over being with Shadow.

"Hey Shadow."

Shadow looked away from the window and stared at Koji as he came back from his daydream.

"I got you something to eat." He held out the plastic wrapped sandwhich he had gotten from the cart down the hall.

"Aw man dude, you didn't need to go and do that!"

"Ah, they were cheap anyway. Besides, I noticed you didn't have money for food yourself."

Shadow looked at his hands. "Yeah but it's your money."

Koji chucked it at him. "Stubborn much." He laughed and sat on the seat opposite of him. "Don't worry, me, Axel and Roxas have had our fill."

Shadow looked around. "Hey, where are they?" He asked.

Koji laughed. "Axel just had to drag Roxas around to explore. He'll be back."

Shadow drew his attention back to the sun. "Well they better get back soon..."

"Hey Shadow?"

"You don't have to call me that anymore Koji."

"Well then what should I call you?" Koji asked.

Shadow paused for a moment. "Kenji. My name is Kenji."

Koji snorted. "That sounds an awful lot like my--"

"--Yes I know!" Shadow said quickly. "I know all to well."

"So do you have a last name?" Koji smirked

Shadow remained silent.

Koji snickered. "Well, I feel more comfortable calling you Shadow."

"Whatever you feel like calling me."

A loud ring inturupted them and Koji pulled his phone out. "Aw man, it's my mom."

"Best not to answer." Shadow said. He took Koji's phone and clicked the ignore button.

Koji snatched his phone back and looked at it as if Shadow had drank his last Dr. Pepper. Then he looked up at Shadow with a quizical look. "What about your parents?"

Shadow didn't look away from the colorful sunset. "My... mom was a tramp. She got dirt poor when she had me and abandoned me to fend for myself while she lived in her cardboard boxes."

"Oh..." Koji mumbled. It was an akward moment. Shadow was serious for the first time in what seemed his whole life. They had only met last night but Koji felt as if he had known him for ages.

"What about your dad?" Koji whispered, feeling weird to intrude.

Silence. Then, "I don't remember him much but he wasn't that great either."

Koji looked at his boots. "Okay..." He looked around. "When is Axel and Roxas getting back?"

Shadow snickered. "You know Axel, dragging him around like a rag doll."

"Yeah, he always gets victimized, even by people who have never met him in person!"

"Oh, you have no idea..."

"Sadly, I do. All the AkuRoku that goes around is ridiculus. Poor Roxas can't go google anything relating to Kingdom Hearts without seeing a half naked or more body. Worst part is is that it's ussually him or Axel..."

"I didn't mean that. I mean't what Eclipse had to do."

Koji nearly jerked out of his seat. "What did he do?"

A face splitting grin slithered acrossed his face. "Oh, so you don't know?"

"What!? What did he do!? Tell me!"

"Nope!" Shadow stuck up his nose and turned away. "Well if you don't know there is no reason to tell you." He watched Koji slowly lean back in his chair as he tried to relax. "I mean, it would be horrifying on Roxas's behalf. It would tear open his little Remnant heart. It might even impact Axel as well. I have no idea how he'd react to that bit of information. Poor, poor, Roxas."

"Just tell me!" Koji jumped out of his seat. "I think I deserve to know! I'm his Tamer after all!"

"Nope!" Shadow chirped.

With a battle cry, Koji leapt onto Shadow and they wrestled it out, Shadow laughing hysterically and Koji growing more and more frustrated.

"What... are you doing?" A small voice questioned out of the blue.

Both Shadow and Koji looked up at the three Remnants that had squeezed through the door at the wrong time.

"I think I'm going to be sick..." Demyx's face took on a greenish hue as he held a fist over his mouth.

"Ha ha!" Axel burst. "You making your move Koji!? Ha! How's it working out for ya!?"

Koji assessed the situation. He was currently on top of Shadow in a big tangled mess of legs and arms.

Koji quickly leapt to the other side of the compartment. "SICK! NO WAY!!" He screamed. "How can you think such a thing!"

Shadow got up and looked out the window once again with a smirk. "I'm sorry Koji, but I'm not ready for that kind of relationship."

"Ah! No! I wasn't! You know that Shadow! Tell him!"

Shadow looked at Axel with an inocent look on his face. "He forced himself on me, I sware!"

"No! Axel you have to believe me!"

Axel held out his hands as if weighing something. "Well let's see, you telling me you're perfectly straight or Shadow saying that you are secretly gay and was trying to make out with you..." He crossed his arms. "Logically I would beleive you but I find Shadow's explanation so much more interesting!"

"Shh!" Shadow hushed. "Just sit down with your Tamers and be quiet. The time is near."

Axel and Roxas climbed up and sat next to Koji while Demyx clung to Shadow.

"What's going on?" Roxas whispered.

"I don't know..." Koji whispered back.

"Shush!" Shadow snapped and looked back out the window.

Koji looked out the window but saw nothing. They were on a long bridge over the water that was coming up to a town in the distance.

"Yeah, the town. And?"

"I said shush and that's not it!" Shadow pressed his nose to the glass and looked over the water.

Koji followed his gaze and found him staring at the sun. The stars of twilight were now in view and the colors were bursting with vivid shades. The sun was barely visible as it's tip slowly started to dissapear.

"Uh... Shadow?"

"I'd hold on to all stomach contents right now." He told them.

Koji opened his mouth to say something but the sun dissapeared from veiw and he had the feeling of weightlessness. He felt nothing around him but the feeling of moving at light speed but not moving at all wretched his stomach into knots. He saw, he felt, shapes in the dark and figures reaching, retreating. There was something, then there was nothing and blue. Many symbols and inscriptions flashed before him, filling his head with a blinding pain.

Then it was gone. Koji gasped for air and reached for something to hold onto. He felt another and he looked up at Shadow who had caught him and now was pushing him back into his seat.

One look told Koji this wasn't the same train. The warm yellow curtains were replaced with a dark, midnight purple color and the redish brown chairs were black. Thorns grew from the arm rests and framed the window. The carpet was the brightest thing in the compartment, it being a blood red. Even that color though was a deep, dark, maroon. The door was metal now and a black, torn material hung around it.

"Where are we?" Koji whispered.

Shadow laughed. "The train. In this realm, everything changes. Nothing is as it seems and is wise to follow someone who knows what they are doing." He gave Koji a mischevious look. "Be careful though. This place has a tendency to change spontanoesly." He looked out the window. "Like Tara said, a realm between all realms."

Shadow then ushered them out of the room and to the exit of the train. The clothes of the man who let them in were torn and thrown acrossed the room. A red substance was smeared acrossed the walls and ceiling and a red hand print was smeared acrossed the door.

"Is that...?"

Shadow burst into laughter. "That happens sometimes. Don't worry there's a simple explaination. The man is still safe at the train station of the world we left. This is the realm between right? This place contains peices of all worlds of all realms. It has, let's say, a 'peice' of the man here as well!" He laughed even harder, pushing Koji out the door. "Nothing is as it seems."

He walked out into the train station. Empty and cold were only two of the words to describe it. It was dark and there were broken lightbulb glass everywhere. More blood, as Koji found out, was smeared everywhere from the ceiling to the floor as if some creature had diliberatly done it. A few splatters were near the benches and no trace of their origins were to be seen. The room was made entirly of cement, resembling a subway, and lightbulds sprayed sparks in the distance. One of the pillars was a tree trunk and some of one of the walls seemed to be mixed with silvery shards. The now subway type of train speed off, leaving them in this strange, non-world.

No way to turn back now...


	17. Chapter 17: A Forbidden Realm

Chapter Seventeen: A Forbidden Realm

"This is..."

"Amazing?"

"I was going to say creepy..." Koji grumbled.

Shadow shrugged and walked over to a ticket booth, ringing the bell over and over again. "Hello? Hellowww!? Anyone home?"

"Don't do that! You might attract unwanted visitors!"

"Will I?" Shadow laughed. "No reason to worry, it's not dark."

"Uh, Shadow? Yes it is."

"Oh my gosh!" Shadow looked around with a bewildered look on his face. "It _**is**_ dark! What do you know!"

"Shadow, I'm going to slap you so hard you won't remember your childhood!" Axel growled. "Koji! You'll help me won't you?"

Koji ignored him. He was to busy keeping watch for some inexplicable creature, ready to tear his throat out.

"We better get outside then." Shadow grinned. "Let's see if we can!"

"What?"

"Nothing!"

"No, really! What was that last part?"

"Are you coming or not Koji!?" Shadow put on a fake scowl and started toward the subway stairs.

"Wait!" Koji yelled. He pulled out a ball of string. "I don't want to get lost!" He tied it around a pole while Shadow muttered something about an interesting situation. "Okay! Let's go!" Koji ran up the stairs with him.

Shadow walked around corners and down hallways opening up doors and into rooms. Each place held it's surprise. One door even led into a hallway where huge animal bones stuck out of the walls and sand swept a crossed the floor. Snow fell from the ceiling.

Shadow continued to lead them through, taking them through small openings and hidden hallways until they reached a dead end.

"Well, looks like this wasn't the way."

"Do you even know what you're doing Shadow?" Koji whispered.

"No." Shadow said flatly. "I'm just winging it!"

"Ugh, fine! We can follow my string back." He began to reel it back when he turned the corner and saw the most shocking thing ever. He followed the string to the wall and gently tugged. It was caught tight.

"Shadow? Why is the string coming out of the wall?"

Shadow burst into laughter. "It shifts!"

Koji felt fear run through him. "It WHAT!? Does that mean we're trapped?"

"We're doomed!" Demyx cried. "We're going to die here!"

"Shut up!" Axel yelled. "We are not going to die!"

Shadow took Koji's arm. "Yes! This is what I wanted! To be boxed in! Once we're boxed in we can do this!"

Shadow hit the ceiling above them and a junk broke free. "Nothing is as it seems!" He laughed and pulled himself up and through. Then his head popped back into view. "Sometimes the way out is to pull yourself farther in!"

"One of these days Shadow... Geeze! Why can't you just tell me what you plan?"

"Because I love to see you freak out."

"Koji, may I have the honor of bashing his head in when this is over?" Axel asked.

"He wouldn't." Shadow said positively. "He loves meh! He loves meh this much!" He stretched his arms out as far as he could.

"Stop that! You sound like one of those AkuRoku supporters!"

"Maybe I am." Shadow snickered. "Maybe I'm not!"

Koji crawled up after him. "In that case, Axel can deal with you in his own personal way."

"With my help!" Roxas put in.

Shadow looked at Koji blankly. "And you support it Koji by letting them sleep in the bedroom same room together, in the same bed."

"Wha--? No!" Koji defended. "They're my Remnants! It's different!"

"And you just happen to have two? As if!"

"Shadow!!" Koji snarled and chased him out of the tunnel they were in. The sudden light blinded him and he cried out in surprise. After plenty of rubbing, he opened his eyes to see he was on top of a rocky cliff. The cliff looked over a shining, solid sea that seemed frozen in time and many dark patches of black created holes in it. Just after that a dark, twisted silhouette of a castle stood in front of a large half of a moon, the other half crumbled and spread a crossed the dark sky.

"Whoa..."

Shadow leaned casually over the cliff, ignoring the fact that it was a long way down. "That is where we are going so we have to cross the lake, mysterious, thing."

"Yeah, uh Shadow? How are we supposed to get down?" Koji asked, leaning over to see what he was looking at.

"Like this." Shadow answered plainly and shoved Koji off the cliff.

Koji screamed when he felt himself fall but suddenly found himself a few feet off the ground and bit it face first. He looked up to see Shadow landing feet first beside him.

"I was looking for the warp hole. Like I said, sometimes to get out is to go farther in."

"How about giving us a warning next time!" Axel gasped. "Or I'll shove your AkuRoku supporting butt of another cliff! Got it memorized!?"

Shadow laughed. "I don't support it. I was teasing." He turned to walk away but turned back around to face him. "You know, I haven't heard you say that since we met. I thought you were in to that whole 'got it memorized' thing"

Axel growled. "It's a catch phrase, not my life. I don't need to say it every five seconds. Besides, we just met last night."

Koji jumped up and ran up next to Shadow. "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"That!" Koji pointed to on of the very few trees around them. In it's branches was a green, parrot like bird, moving with twitches like a broken wind up toy. First it bent down and cocked it's head, the shakily it stood up and let out a horrible sound. It sounded like a mix between someone screaming bloody murder and a video game horribly glitching up on you. Then the sound would die and it would repeat the process.

Shadow shrugged. "That happens sometimes when a living thing comes here in an indirect way. The darkness will feed on it soon." He looked around quickly. "And with all this racket we better leave now, otherwise it they will feed on us as well!"

"Wait, what!"

Shadow pulled him away toward the lake. "There shape shifting are monsters here made of darkness. Living nightmares are what they are! They will feed on any living thing that gets trapped."

"Well then let's hurry up!" Roxas cried.

"That's what we're doing!" Koji shot. He felt a jolt of fear when he stepped out into the lake, expecting to fall through and swim. Instead, he stepped onto the glassy surface like it was hard rock and continued to run.

Shadow pushed Koji ahead of him. "Let's get as far away as possible. Nothing to worry about yet but just in case, you know?"

After a while of running Koji finally stopped and gasped for breath. "Can we stop know?"

Shadow looked behind him where the shore was barely out of sight. Then foreword where the castle's floor level was just starting to appear. "We keep going but we can walk. It's dangerous to not keep moving till we are safe within the castle."

Koji grumbled and followed Shadow. He closed his tired eyes and kept walking he suddenly didn't feel anything under his feet and a jerk back from his hood.

"You idiot!" Shadow hissed. "You almost fell into one of the holes!"

"Uh, yeah. Mind filling me in? And anything else you haven't told me about this place?" He asked.

"If you fall into the hole you fall into the core of this place! There you get tossed about; separated and reassembled anyway this place wishes with anything else that may have fallen in there. You'll never come out the same, if out a living being at all!"

Koji jerked out of Shadow's grip. "How do you know all this stuff?"

"Eclipse." Shadow answered plainly.

Koji raised his eyebrow, recognizing the name. "Is he the leader or something? He seems to be involved with everything."

Shadow let out a weird snort, causing Koji to jump with surprise. "Eclipse? The superior? HA! When a purple monkey flies out my butt! The superior isn't involved in anything as far as I know. All of his 'plans'" Shadow quoted with his fingers, "Are kept secret. We have no idea what's going on. He said he'd tell us when the time for it comes near. Ten guesses what Remnant he has."

"Xemnas." Koji answered without a doubt. "Come on Shadow, that one was to easy. Are you loosing your touch?"

"Ah har, ah har." Shadow grumbled. "Now Eclipse is the scientist of our organization--"

"--Vexen!" Koji interrupted.

Shadow laughed. "Come now Koji, at least give me a chance to let you guess! Yes, his Remnant is Vexen. He does almost all the work in the organization if you think about it. He made that poison you drank to make your Tamer powers screw up, he figured out everything about this world, he gave the castle it's safe conditions from the rest of this realm, and my gosh look! We have stopped! Let's keep going Koji!" He took Koji's arm and dragged him along.

"When are we going to get there?" Koji whined.

"Yes Kenji, when?" Demyx followed up.

Shadow shook his head in amusement. "When we get there my little torture bugs, when we get there."


	18. Chapter 18: Best Kept Secret

Chapter Eighteen: Best Kept Secret

Shadow gave a final look around before slipping inside. He then turned to Koji, pressing his finger to his lips. They were now safely inside.

What a dreadful place it was. They were in the front, main hall. The bricks were flat and smooth, slightly reflecting their surroundings. A wide, black carpet was rolled out before them, going straight and up the stairs. An iron chandelier hung in the center and along the walls, torches encased in red stained glass cast a glow all over the red walls and floor.

"Talk about Gothic with a capital G..." Koji mumbled. "I need to meet their designer."

Shadow smiled. "The Superior's idea. He figured if the organization had white and silver, he would use black and red."

"What a terrible idea."

"I know."

Koji knelt down and inspected the floor. "Are these... tire marks?"

Shadow had a quiet laugh/snort fit before pushing Koji along, still laughing. "We got to move quickly!" He whispered after his break down. "We don't want someone spontaneously appearing on us. Especially Abyss."

Koji glared at him. "Like we have anywhere to go! We're in the beehive now and with out a plan!"

"Ah, but that's not our job!" Shadow waved a finger in his face. "We leave that up to someone else."

"And who would that be?" Koji asked.

Shadow gave him a grin so evil it sent chills down his spine. Then he took a tight hold of Koji's arm and dragged him down the halls and up stairs. More stairs and passageways and there was a moment in which they heard a CT member walking down the hall and took a detour. Finally they went down a thin, mini hall and at the end was a door. Shadow then abruptly started throwing himself against it.

"Eclipse! Eclipse!" He yelled, making Koji want to shut him up before a member hears him. "Open up! Oh Eclipse!"

Many clicks and sliding sounds were heard and the door swung open to reveal an older male's face. "My gosh Shadow! What in the name of Heartless are you doing here!? I thought you were dead!!" He looked at Koji and a look of pure horror spread a crossed it. Then he took both Shadow and Koji, pulling them into the room.

"Shadow, you have some explaining to do! Why is Koji here!? Why are you here!? You could get killed! If Abyss were to... or even Night!"

"Are you... Eclipse?" Koji asked.

Eclipse looked over at Koji and seemed to regain his composure. "Yes, I am."

Koji reached out his hand to shake. "I've heard a lot about you from Shadow. He says you're the only one that does the work here."

Eclipse took his hand and laughed. "Well, you can't say I do _**all**_ the work but I do most of it. I'd rather get out of this cursed castle but I don't want to live my life in hiding."

Another figure stepped out of the shadows, startling Koji. "Though it's great we could meet you. We have a lot to talk about."

Shadow stepped between the three. "Alright, alright. Vexen, as much as I'd like to hear you drabble on about your scientific discoveries..." He paused and smiled evilly at the now scowling Vexen. "...I brought Koji here to stop the CT."

"And I'd like it to be over quick so I can get back home." Axel growled, stepping into view out of Koji's hood.

A twinkle came into Eclipse's eye. "Ah, and I presume Roxas is here too."

"We brought all the Remnant's we could." Shadow said as if it was obvious. "It was only the _**smart**_ thing to do."

Eclipse glared. "I'm only making conversation." He turned back to Koji. "Come on out Roxas. I want to see how much you've developed."

Roxas stepped out onto Koji's shoulder. "D-developed? What do you mean by that?"

"You didn't tell him?" Vexen asked Shadow.

"You know Shadow." Demyx replied for him.

Eclipse shook his head. "Oh deary me. This is going to be hard."

"Why!?" Koji could feel Axel shake on his other shoulder. "What's wrong with him!? Can you fix it!?"

Eclipse shook his head sadly. "Nothings wrong and you can't really 'fix' it." He mumbled. "You know that Remnants are basically the remains of Nobodies, right?"

Koji nodded.

"But," He continued. "There was no Roxas Remnant. He never did fade like the others. He went back to Sora. Twelve Remnants, but the superior wanted thirteen in all. Star was, well, supposed to be the only Tamer who could bond with more than one Remnant at a time and the superior hired me to make the thirteenth."

Roxas stepped back. "What is that supposed to mean!? I'm... a fake!?"

Eclipse sighed. "Fake is such a negative word. But you have the capabilities of any other Remnant and you even think and act on your own. I wasn't expecting that last one. Technically you are your own person now."

Roxas hung his head. "So all those memories, my friendship with Axel... It's not real?"

"I don't know about the memories I gave you but you are friends with Axel right? I mean, you've been through a lot with him as Remnants." He looked over at Axel, opposite of Koji.

Axel stared at his feet. "But... he's not the real Roxas is he. I'll never see him again will I?"

"Axel..." Koji looked sadly for Shadow, wishing somehow he might be able to do something. Shadow was nowhere to be seen.

Roxas looked away and retreated back into the shadows of Koji's hood. "Oh... okay... I'll just... I'll be..." A loud sniff was heard and Koji had enough.

"Now listen here you guys! It doesn't matter who, how, why, what or when you were created. You're Remnants now and you're Axel and you're Roxas. Roxas, you were created using the same DNA so why in the world do you think you're any different!? You're still him right? And while the real Roxas is stuck wasting time with Sora you, simply the double, can spend time with your best friend! If you think about it, Roxas doesn't exist anymore so guess what? You're him! Does that make any sense!?" Koji took a loud intake of breath. He hated long enthusiasm speeches.

Roxas's head perked up. "Yeah but..."

"But nothing! _Your butt_ is Roxas right now so stand up straight and take it like a man!" He turned to Axel. "Does that mean anything to you?" He growled.

Axel stood for a second, thinking. "Yeah." He said finally.

Koji nodded. "This is Roxas. The other one that was a Nobody is gone so technically, Eclipse made a new body for him."

Axel tackled Roxas off Koji's shoulder while Roxas struggled to keep both of them in the air with his wings made for one. "Sorry I ever doubted!"

"What I miss?" A familiar voice called from the door.

"Tara!" Koji, Axel and Roxas called out in unison.

"Yeah, you love her too!" Shadow grinned. "I found her wandering the halls. Thought I'd give her a hand."

"Nova?" Asked Eclipse. "Is that you?"

Koji felt his heart drop when he saw her.

Tara groaned. "No. A very interesting Remnant found her and ended up doing what the Celestial Tamers do to their Remnants.

"Ello!" A little blond waved his hand from her shoulder. "Mind if I join this little tea party?"

Koji felt as if he was going to be sick.

"Great." Vexen mumbled. "One big happy family. With a member that killed me in my previous life."

"Are you seriously mad about that after all this time?" Tara's Remnant, Zexion, asked.

Axel grinned a grin similar to Shadow's. "He's just mad cause he got pwned. Badly."

"So..." Demyx started a head count. "Nine, ten, eleven... So, so eleven of us if you count Nova. How many of them?"

Eclipse frowned. "If you count that little girl that runs Star's errands I'd say..."

Shadow looked up from the lab table he was inspecting. "Twilight's sister is still here?"

"Yes! Now shut up! Erm... Twelve total, but I don't think Neon counts anyways being without Tamer ability."

Koji shook his head vigorously. "I think I just lost brain cells. Mind telling me what I'm up against?"

Shadow named them off as if in sing song. "Dusk, Marluxia, Night, Lexaeus, Star, Saix, Xigbar, Neon, Abyss, Xaldin, Xemnas and the Superior!!"

"That... was... nice Shadow... I think." Vexen rubbed his ears.

"My brains!" Axel screamed. "They've been melted!"

"Shadow." Demyx whispered. "Can you not do that when I'm right here on your shoulder?"

"What!? I can't hear you? Mind passing that by me again?" Tara joked.

Eclipse swiftly brought his hand to his forehead. "Shadow, do you mind calming down for _**once**_ in your life? Please!?"

Shadow pulled out a pile of papers and flipped through them. "You've been doing some intense stuff while I was away. Give you a week and the superior goes crazy for death traps." He picked up a jar. "Is this... Remnant dust? How the heck did you manage to get your hands on this stuff?"

"Put it down Shadow!" Eclipse growled. "Or maybe I'll sick Koji on you."

"Oh, I'm shaking." He snorted. "Hide the Dr. Pepper."

"Hey!" Koji growled. "When did this become about me?"

"Which one's Koji Adams?" Asked Luxord.

Everyone pointed to Koji.

"A little slow..." Tara whispered to Zexion.

"Okay, let's cut the insult party out okay?" Roxas grumbled. "We are all a bit tired here so let's just calm down and listen to what Eclipse has to say."

Eclipse looked to Vexen. "I got nothing, what do you have for a plan?"

Vexen shrugged.

Shadow pulled open another cabinet only for a vast amount of things to fall over and attack him. Shadow screeched like a mixture between a small girl and an owl, and tried to run away, only to be crushed by the mass.

"Shadow! Stay out of my stuff!"

Shadow crawled out from under the pile, clearly shaken up. "Whoa! That was so bloody intense!! Can I do that again!?"

"No!!" Eclipse snarled. "Now just hold still!"

Shadow stood up straight and put on a serious face but when Eclipse turned around the sly smile was back. He walked casually over to another lab desk and picked up a pink test tube of some sort and whistled.

"What does this thinger do? It says... 'love potion'... Why would you need that!?"

Eclipse swore loudly and spun back around. "Kenji Lee Adams, LEAVE MY STUFF ALONE!!"

The outburst startled Shadow and he fumbled with the tube he had lost hold of only for it to fall anyway and land with a 'crash!'

Koji felt as if his heart had just stopped from a hard electric jolt. "W--What did you call him!?"

Eclipse gawked at Koji for a few seconds and then turned to gawk at Shadow.

"You didn't tell him anything on his way here did you!?"

"I'd rather he didn't know. But it's too for that now huh!! You and you're big mouth!"

"He deserves to at least know about his half brother!!"

"Not my fault our dad was a sick pig!!"

"SHUT UP!!" Koji screamed. "All this yelling is killing me and probably every member of the CT in this castle as well!!" He then glared at Shadow. "Why didn't you tell me!"

Shadow opened his mouth. Then closed it. He opened his mouth again only to close it once more. He looked down at his boots and pointed his toes toward each other.

"I... I didn't think you'd like me. I wanted you to accept me but I was afraid of how you would react. You lived your whole life an only child, only for a screw up like me to jump into your life? It's not exactly the best sounding thing..."

"But you have no family! Why did you think for a second I'd let a family member, or a friend for that matter, live on the streets, no matter how long ago we met? Or in this case..." Koji pointed at the ceiling. "In this creepy place?"

Shadow shrugged. "Because when I first heard the Superior mention you and how you refused to join, I wanted you dead. I didn't know, I didn't know anything back then."

Koji laughed. "You're so pathetic Shadow." He laughed a bit more, then shook his head in amusement. "You want to know something? When I was a kid I always wanted a brother. Someone to hang out with and play video games and to beat up bullies for me."

Koji walked over to Shadow and put a hand on his shoulder. "In my opinion, you would be the best brother anyone could ask for." Koji scowled. "As long as those pranks you love don't get pulled on me."

Shadow laughed. "Deal, but can I at least prank your teachers?"

"All but Mrs. Johnson. She's the one good teacher."

"Then it's a deal brother!"


	19. Chapter 19: 'The Plan'

Chapter Nineteen: The Un-organized Organization Plan

"Okay!" Eclipse brushed his stuff to the side so he could lay out a map of the castle. Everyone leaned over the desk for a better look.

"Our main goal is to take down the heart of this organization." Vexen began.

"Yes." Eclipse followed. "And we want as many people as possible up against him and only him. The easier, the better."

"So how are we going to do that?" Tara huffed, crossing her arms. "There are five of as and five of them if you divide into teams of Remnant and Tamer."

Eclipse scowled. "Tara, I don't think any one of us to take on the superior alone. I don't think all of us could do it together either."

Koji leaned over Eclipse's shoulder. "So, if we side track his followers and go for the Superior we can take him down right?"

"That's the idea." Eclipse pointed to where they were. "Here is my lab. I want the strongest of us and the most after the superior so Koji is defiantly coming along, him having two Remnants and all. Tara, I want you to keep this floor under control." He pointed to the first floor.

"Wait..." Luxord inspected the map. "This castle is huge, yet it only has three floors?"

"Well," Vexen sighed. "The towering ceiling is what the Superior liked. I think he's a bit mental myself."

Eclipse sighed. "The first floor contains all the bedrooms, the main hall and meeting room. The second floor has my lab, entertainment rooms if you call them entertaining, training rooms, etc. The third floor is practically the towers themselves. Of the three towers there is the Heartless resurrection room, watch tower and the prison and torture room. The huge room connecting the towers is the throne room. Here is where the Superior sits and I swear does absolutely nothing. The basement is mainly storage."

"Who's to watch the second floor?" Ask Roxas.

Eclipse glared at him. "Give me a second! You can ask questions after I'm done okay?" He turned back to the map. "Luxord keeps watch on the second floor because it isn't as occupied as the first. Tara is the more powerful Tamer so she has the first. No one is allowed on the third floor unless there is an exception like the Superior wants to talk to someone alone. Shadow will tag along with Koji because he Remnant has been known to break a normal Remnant's limitations."

"Break his limitations?" Zexion asked.

"Is that another question!?" Eclipse growled.

Shadow grinned proudly. "Demyx can transform into his Nobody form without my help and even transfer some of his Remnant self. He does other stuff too!" He looked at Koji. "I'm sure you know what a Nobody looks like when some of his Remnant pieces are transferred."

Koji shuddered, remembering what that poison had done to Axel.

"May I continue!?" Eclipse snarled.

Koji and Shadow snickered.

"Now, Star on the other hand has two Remnants as well so I'll keep him busy. I know for a fact he's in his room right about now. I can keep him busy for at most three hours."

"The goal is to get as many of us up there as possible." Vexen grabbed Koji's shoulder. "Therefore if something happens, like a surprise visit from someone, we need to make sure that if only one Tamer _does_ get up there, it's going to be Koji."

"Thanks." Koji grumbled. "I feel special. You're sentencing me to doom with Xemnas. I'd rather face Abyss..."

"You know..." Axel smiled evilly. "While on the internet, I learned from some fan girls a rather interesting mix up with his name..."

"Axel!" Koji growled. "Not the time. I don't want him to have anymore reason to kill me than he does now."

"Any questions?" Eclipse stood up straight and looked at the one hand up. "Yes Shadow?"

"When are the bathroom breaks?" He asked.

"There are no bathroom breaks. Any others?"

"What!? No bathroom breaks!?"

"I said, any others!?" He yelled above Shadow's outcry. "Anyone!?"

Koji raised his hand and talked without being called upon. "Yeah, when do we start?"

"Ah! Very good question Koji. We'll start as soon as possible. Any others?"

"Yeah!" Shadow raised his hand again, making Eclipse groan. "Can I take one of those lovely love potions you've concocted? I might find use for that."

"No! You may not use one of my love potions! You of all people have me crawling in my skin just thinking of what you would do!"

Shadow grinned. "It should."

"Ah, um... Eclipse?" Koji asked. "Why did you make a love potion in the first place?"

Eclipse face grew a light shade of red. "Nothing you need to know about."

"Oooh! Eclipse! Who is it?" Shadow clung to Eclipse's arm. "Or are you going for the hottest girl you can find!? Trying to score the best of the best! That's my man!"

"Shut up Shadow!!" Eclipse snarled. "Stay out of my business!"

"Wooot!! Go Eclipse! That how you get them!"

"Shadow!" Tara tore Shadow away and held the neck of his cloak up high. "Don't make me slit your throat with the first thing I can find!"

"Oh, I forgot!" He snickered. "There's a _lady_ in here. Kinda hard to remember when you got no--"

"--Shove it Shadow!" Tara shoved him back, sending Shadow into another one of Eclipse's cluttered desks. He knocked over multiple items and a small jar. The jar's lid flew off and a silvery, sparkling cloud erupted all over Koji. Koji sneezed and more powder flew into the air. It quickly dissinagrated, leaving Koji rubbing his eyes and sneezing the rest of the powder out.

Eclipse looked over from his charts to see what the commotion was about and his eyes widened.

"What just happened!?"

Vexen cleared his throat nervously. "Shadow knocked over... the um... jar of dust."

Eclipse glared at Shadow. "What kind of dust."

"It was kind of silver in color." Luxord pointed out.

Eclipse leapt over to the table and studied the jar. "Shadow, you knocked _**remnant dust**_ all over Koji! Remnant Dust!! Do you know what this could do to him!?"

"What's Remnant Dust?" Asked Koji, sounding a bit stuffed up.

"It comes when Remnants are born out of the darkness. It's very dangerous stuff. I don't know what it will do to someone."

Shadow grabbed Koji's arm and looked over Koji. "Do you feel okay? You look okay..."

Eclipse and Vexen also looked him over, checking to see if anything unusual happened.

"Stop staring at me like that." Koji pulled away from them.

"Well, he looks okay." Vexen picked up the jar. "I knew putting it in a more sealed container would be better..."

Eclipse glared at Shadow. "I hope you're happy for whatever damage you did to your brother!"

"No really!" Koji laughed and put up his hands in mock surrender. "I'm fine! Never better! Besides, Shadow didn't mean it! It was all an accident right?"

"I should have been more careful though..." Shadow mumbled sadly.

"You? careful?" Koji raised and eyebrow. "That's not like you."

Vexen shook his head and leaned over the map, motioning for everyone to look. "What we'll do is leave the lab together. Then once we hit the stair case that leads to the upper level and lower level we'll split up, Luxord staying behind to guard the stairs and Tara going down a floor to block entry to the second level stairs. I'll go knock on Star's door and pay him a bit of a visit. Shadow and Koji will go upstairs and take on from there. "

"Ready?"

"Ready!" Everyone answered.

"Er... any tips on how to beat him?" Koji asked.

"Run fast!" Shadow laughed and pushed him out the door.

They crept down the small hall silently till they hit the end. Eclipse, who was in the front of the line, peered around the corner. He looked around and turned to the rest of them. He motioned for them to go and they ran down the hall. They hit the main hall that separated the main floors and it was a sudden split up. Eclipse whispered 'good luck' to Koji as him and Shadow ran up the stairs. Shadow pulled open the door and pulled Koji into it.

It was dark for the few moment the door behind them was shut. Then the lights lit up, in a chain like reaction, illuminating the long hall in front of them. It was a sudden change in scenery. They had left behind the blacks and blood red colors that made anyone think of death. Before them was white and grays with a mixture of pale, light blues. It was almost as if they had stepped into the World That Never Was through the Realm of Between...

But they hadn't...

"Shadow..."

"Yeah. The third floor..." He looked spacily off at the towering ceiling. "Good memories..."

"More pranks?" Asked Axel.

Shadow grinned. "Let's go. They can only hold the other Tamers off for so long you know."

Koji nodded and ran down the hall before him, Shadow hot on his heels.

"Where is it?" Koji asked.

"The center of this floor. It's not to bad. Basically just follow the halls that lead you inward. The halls are simply just circle around the main room." Shadow tapped Koji's shoulder and pointed. "Right here!"

They turned the corner and skidded to a stop.

"What do we have here?" A chilling voice asked. He looked at the two intruders. "A nerd and a geek."

Shadow scowled. "Abyss..."


	20. Chapter 20: One's Last Stand

Chapter Twenty: One's Last Stand

"Well, well." Abyss cracked a wide grin. "The two people I hate most are right in front of me and what do you know! I actually have permission to kill each of you!"

Shadow sighed. "Abyss, we don't have time for this. Now if you don't mind I have too--" Shadow tried to walk past Abyss, only to be stopped by a spear.

"Do you really think I'd just let you guys go?" Abyss laughed darkly. "I would never pass up an opportunity like this! This is like a dream come true! I was almost afraid some other Tamer would get to kill you with their own hands and leave me with nothing!"

Shadow backed up and rubbed his chest where the spear had poked him. "Down Xaldin! Bad boy! Keep control of your Remnant Abyss. I might get rabies."

Abyss frowned. "I would have to ask you the same thing. Your wild Remnant might ruin everything with it's free will."

"Theirs nothing wrong with free will!" Demyx snapped. A glare from Abyss though caused him to retreat behind Shadow's neck.

Abyss laughed. "Poor Demyx. It was better off being controlled by you. Now look how timid it had grown."

"Enough Abyss!" Koji shouted. "If you want to settle things let's settle it now!" He summoned his Remnants to each side.

Shadow pushed Koji back. _What is he doing!?_ Shadow thought_. He's got a mission to keep up on!_

Koji pushed Shadow's arm away. "Get out of my way! It's my business!"

Shadow held him back. "Koji! You have something more important to do! I'll hold him!"

Koji glared. "It'll be quick if we take him together! Three against one right? Besides, I can't let you face him alone!"

Shadow smiled. Koji didn't want anything bad to happen. He felt the longed for bond between brothers and nodded.

"Okay. We'll take him together."

A burst of light and Demyx was out in the playing field. Eclipse was going to kill him for letting Koji hang back.

Abyss laughed. "You really think you can beat me? Even the Superior thinks my Remnant is the strongest here! How can you even begin to think you can--!"

A huge explosion cut him off as Axel leapt in and attacked Xaldin.

Shadow looked over to Koji and raised an eyebrow.

"I hate long speeches." Koji said emotionlessly.

Axel stepped back to Koji's side and laughed.

The flames retreated as Abyss threw his arms out and practically roared. "If you want to go that far then BRING IT!!"

"Oh, it's on!!" Koji shot back.

Abyss roared and summoned some of Xaldins spears for himself.

"Your turn Demyx!" Shadow grinned.

Demyx quickly summoned his Sitar. "Dance water, dance!!"

Several columns of water sprang up from the floor, knocking Abyss and Xaldin into the air.

"My move!" Roxas yelled and smacked Abyss away with his Keyblades, causing Abyss to skid crossed the ground.

"Hi five!" Shadow and Koji said simultaneously. They apparently weren't taking this seriously.

This made Abyss furious. "Xaldin!" He roared. "Take them down! Skewer them to the walls!"

Xaldin made an attempt to do just that but Koji and Shadow skidded away, laughing.

"Gunna have to be faster than that!" Shadow taunted.

Abyss angrily threw a spear at Shadow, only for it to get locked into Axel's chakram. Axel then flung it back, following up with two flaming chakrams.

"Four 'o clock Koji!" Roxas yelled and Koji dodged Xaldin's surprise attack.

"Only obeying to attack. Not much creative freedom there huh?" Shadow smirked.

Shadow suddenly felt the hairs on his back rise and then the feeling of being lifted.

"You have no idea how little I need to beat you." Abyss growled into Shadow's ears. He then swung Shadow around by his hood he had grabbed and let him fly a crossed the room.

Demyx quickly ran to catch him but was sent to the ground by Shadow's weight. He pushed Shadow off and groaned.

"This wasn't in the Remnant contract." He whined.

Axel quickly jumped behind Abyss and raised a chakram.

Abyss spun around and swung out a spear but it passed through nothing but flames that quickly dissinagrated.

"What--?" Abyss started but was over taken when Axel came flying out of thin air, making a nova of fire.

Roxas then charged in right afterwards, taking a few swings with his Keyblades.

"Got that one memorized Abyss?" Axel laughed.

Xaldin sprung out of nowhere, slashing Demyx a crossed his back.

Demyx screamed out in pain and Shadow fell to his knees, clutching his sides.

Abyss quickly took advantage of the opportunity and thrust Demyx into the wall and had Xaldin Skewer him there by his coat.

Shadow stood up, ignoring the blinding pain that pounded in his skull. "Demyx! Break free! Come on, you can do it!"

Demyx squeezed his eyes shut and whimpered, not even bothering to budge.

"I should finish off his poor pathetic life right now!" Abyss snickered.

Roxas raced in to save Demyx but Abyss caught him by the neck of his coat and threw him a crossed the room. Shadow noticed Koji bite back the pain and call out to his Remnant. Roxas quickly got up and charged in again with Axel coming from another angle.

At Abyss's command, Xaldin pushed them away with a blast of wind. Then Abyss grabbed Koji and held him up in the air. He held a spear out and aimed it at Koji's chest...

"NO!!" Shadow yelled and raced over to aid his brother. Abyss looked over darkly at him darkly. Shadow then realized what he had planned but it was too late. Abyss warped away, dropping Koji to the floor, now left coughing. Shadow tried to find where Abyss was going to warp to but was stopped by a horrible, killing pain.

"SHADOW!!" Koji screamed.

Shadow, took a painful breath of air and felt where the pain was. He cut his fingers on the blade like spear that now came out of his chest. The metallic taste of blood filled his mouth and he quickly spit it out, disgusted.

"Yes Shadow, die." Abyss snickered. "Die that horrible and painful death you were oh so afraid that Koji would have to bear!"

Shadow realized that his life was dripping away and he needed to get Koji out of here. He opened his mouth to talk but found it was allot harder than he expected. Every intake of air killed him and the warm blood would not stop seeping into his clothes. Shadow sputtered out some more blood and breathed in. "Koji... go stop the Superior. I'd hate... to think they..." He coughed up more blood and winced in pain. He could feel every bit of energy slowly leak away. "...are suffering... a fate like... mine."

"Oh, I bet they are!" Abyss laughed maniacally.

Shadow watched Koji step forward, then retreat a step. "But... Shadow! You're--!"

"GO!!" Shadow spat. He winced and tried to block out Demyx's sobs. It killed him to hear his Remnant be in such state. They were so close to freedom... but then again... they were so far.

He heard Koji make an odd choking sound, then his footsteps lead away.

"But Koji!" Axel yelled, then more steps...

"Happy now Shadow?" He heard Abyss's voice whisper into his ear. "You're dying, and Koji's not. We are all alone and I get to finish you anyway I want." A small chuckle made Shadow wince. "What should I do? Gut you alive? Cut you up once piece at a time? Maybe I should just let you bleed to death, right here with your blood spilled a crossed this floor."

Shadow cried out in pain as he was lifted by the spear. It was answered by a harsh laugh from Abyss. Shadow clutched the spear in attempt to dull the pain. It did nothing but cut up his fingers and Shadow could do nothing but let it slowly kill him.

"What do you hope to gain from this...?" Shadow asked, choking on his own blood.

He heard Abyss laugh. "My, my... Have you forgotten all those dirty little pranks you pulled on me? I said you'd pay. Did you not think I was serious?"

Shadow managed to sputter out a chuckle. "I thought a hot pink coat suited you."

"WHEN WILL YOU LEARN TO QUIT!?" Abyss screamed and lifted another spear. "JUST SHUT UP!!" Abyss roared and then thrusted it forward.


	21. Chapter 21: The Final Battle

Chapter Twenty One: The Final Battle

Koji ran down the halls, tears stinging his eyes. He had every impulse to turn back but inside he knew it was useless. He'd be throwing the whole plan away if he did. He knew that even if he did defeat Abyss, there would be nothing he could do to help Shadow. There wasn't even a hospital in this whole realm of death. There was no hope for him.

Koji choked down a sob and turned another corner, nearly running into the huge door before him.

"Koji!" Axel yelled after him. "Koji!! Wait!"

Roxas came to a stop beside him. "How could you leave him like that?"

"There's nothing we can do..." Koji whimpered. "We just have to keep moving forward..."

Roxas, feeling the distress Koji was in, took a step back. "There has to be something though..."

"There's nothing..." Koji sighed, wiping away the tears. There would be plenty of time for those later.

"Is this... it?" Axel asked.

"I think so." Koji answered. "You ready?"

Axel and Roxas nodded together.

"Okay!" Koji pushed the door and despite how huge it was, it opened easily.

Before him, the colors once again changed. The reds and blacks were back. The walls were a deep red and shimmered with the pools of magma that gathered at the sides. A black carpet rolled out to a huge throne with bent, black iron. It curled around in a rib cage like manner and was cluttered with human skulls.

Mustering up all he had he stepped toward the throne. "Does this whole place have to be so dreary?" He remarked loudly to the Superior. "I mean, you can do better... or can you?"

The one seated in the throne shifted. "Ah, Koji. You sound a bit like Shadow there... taking lessons?"

Koji pushed away a flare of anger. "Maybe, does it bother you?" He snickered. "I mean, if you wanted one dead, why not make an army of little pet peeves."

The Superior growled. "I find that highly unnecessary." He stood up from his throne. "So did you come to join us?"

"Hardly!" Koji snorted.

"What a shame..." He sighed. "Call me Dark. I plan a new era of greatness. Do you not wish to help?"

"I hear this plan every time I watch cartoons." Koji scoffed.

Dark raised a hand. "Ah but this is different. I wish to combine this realm of never ending doom with the light of Kingdom Hearts. Using this realm of between I can gain control of all the realms. I can't do this unless I have thirteen Remnants and what a perfect time for that then when Organization XIII is destroyed and transformed into simple Remnants? I can sacrifice their energy to fulfill this task!"

Axel raised a hand.

Dark stepped back. "Erm... yes Axel?"

"When you say 'sacrifice'... do you mean horribly slaughter us to help a bigger goal that has nothing to do with the greater good?"

There was silence. Then a cough from the Superior. "What do you say Koji. Join us so we can bring a great kingdom upon all the worlds?"

"I guess you didn't hear me the first time." Koji growled. "I said NO!!"

Dark sighed. "I guess it can't be helped..." He snapped his fingers and a burst of light appeared beside him. (two battles in five minutes eh?)

Koji turned to Axel and Roxas. "Take them down. Both of them."

As he said it Xemnas warped behind him and picked him up by his hood.

"Aw Sh--!" Was all Koji could manage to say as he was tossed a crossed the room. Axel immediately jumped to the occasion to attack but Xemnas blocked him with an aerial blade. Then he shoved Axel back, knocking him off balance.

Roxas came up to help but was thrown back as well.

"I was hoping this would be quick..." Koji moaned and help Axel up.

Axel tried to slash at Xemnas as he came charging but missed. Xemnas picked him up and threw him against on of the walls. Axel bounced off and nearly missed the magma pools that gathered there.

"Koji! He's getting away!" Roxas yelled out.

Koji turned to look and saw Xemnas make hi way out a door behind him.

"O no you don't you lazy freak." He growled and ran after him. "You guys stay here!"

"But--!"

"Keep him busy! I'll get him!" Koji threw himself through the door Dark had escaped threw. He found himself in a white hall and he charged down it. Yet at the end he came to a wall covered in spikes. No way anyone could go further.

_Sometimes to get out, you must go further in_ he remembered Shadow saying. With a cry, Koji ran head first into the wall of spikes.

--

Both Remnants looked up from the battle they were having.

"What? What is it!?" Tara asked.

"A disturbance in the air..." Xigbar frowned.

"A huge surge of power..." Zexion frowned as well. "Beyond anything I've felt a Tamer do..."

"Could it be... Koji?" Tara asked silently.

--

Koji felt the wall pass through him as he appeared at the other end. Deep inside he knew that wasn't supposed to happen, even in this world.

"What did I do?" Koji asked himself. He shook the thought away and continued forward. He burst through a door and came a crossed a rather shocked Dark.

"Die you mother--" Koji screamed and swore. The force of it sent them flying out the nearest window. They began to fall to the deep blue surface of this world yet Koji did not want to release the death grip he had on Dark. He was going to fall hard and land with a loud splat if he didn't do anything though.

Koji let go and let a pair of jet black wings fade through his coat. He knew this was something a human or Tamer should be able to do but it wasn't an important matter at the moment. Instead, he nose dived it and drove his heels into Dark. They came down with such force that when Koji slammed him into the ground, a huge cloud of dust erupted from the ground. Koji jumped up from the huge indent in the ground he made and heard Dark laugh.

"Is that all you got?" He cackled and came out of the smoke, grabbing Koji's throat.

"You're such a freak to live through that." Koji coughed and shoved Oblivion threw Dark's stomach. "And you'd be a freak to live through this..."

Dark laughed and pulled himself off the keyblade. "You sly dog, but I'm no freak. I've harnessed the powers of this world to my advantages! You can't kill me easily."

Koji summoned another weapon to his side. "Well today, thirteen is your unlucky number!"

Dark summoned his own Remnant's weapons to his side.

"Let the force be with you young Jedi." Koji chuckled.

"I have no reason to let such jokes offend me." Dark scoffed and charged in. Koji barely had enough time to block them as Dark turned to the side and attacked again. Koji ducked this one and slashed at his with a flaming chakram.

"I can't die!" Dark laughed, apparently enjoying the blood loss.

"I'll see to that!" Koji swiped at him with Oblivion and got a direct hit but as badly cut as he was, Dark was still laughing... and his wounds were healing rather quickly.

"Let's see how quickly it takes you to die!" Dark laughed and threw him a crossed the hard rock ground. Koji skid a crossed the still lake's solid water and stood up only to be pushed out again. Koji didn't get up this time. Dark came over him, ready to kill him when Koji lifted his legs and pushed him off of him. He jumped back up and stabbed Dark with Oblivion.

Dark laughed and grabbed hold of the keyblade and swung him off. Koji skid a crossed the water again and got up, a little to banged up and tired.

"You can't win!" He cackled.

"Yes I can and will!" Koji screamed and tackled him to the ground. Dark lifted and aerial blade, ready to stab himself to kill Koji.

Koji saw a way out.

He quickly rolled off and kicked Dark away. Then he shoved him away as hard as he could, sending him sliding into one of the lakes holes. Dark grabbed the side and tried to get up but Koji stepped on his hands. Dark cried out in pain but Koji ignored it, turning his foot.

"One..." Koji chirped darkly, counting the fingers that lost hold. "Two..."

"Nononononono! Don't do this Koji!" Dark begged.

"Three..."

"No! Please!"

"Fou--" And Dark fell into the dark abyss. Koji watched until he disappeared.

It was over. It was finally over...

Koji then sat down, brought his knees to his chest, and cried.


	22. Chapter 22: Afterwards and Forward

Chapter Twenty Two: Afterwards and Forward

Koji stood outside his house. It was sunny for once and the birds were out singing and there was a certain peace to the air. Even if it had only been a week since the battle with Dark and Xemnas...

"Well I got to be going!" Eclipse waved. "My new job and all. First day!"

"Don't screw it up!" Koji joked.

"I'm only an intern right now." Eclipse laughed. "You remind me of Shadow sometimes.

Koji sighed. "Do I?"

"I think so!" A new voice chirped from behind.

Koji twirled around to see Shadow.

"Shadow!!" Koji cried out and tackled him.

"Owowowow! Easy there! I hurt everywhere!"

"How did you do it!?"

Shadow snickered. "You didn't think Abyss could take me down that easily did you?"

"But you were on your death bed practically!"

"Or death stick..." Shadow joked. "They can't get rid of me like that!"

Koji's eyes grew wide. "You're not like Dark was, are you?"

Shadow made a weird choking sound. "Heck no! Do you know what that guy did to be like that!? Never in my life would I go through all that!"

Koji laughed and hugged him.

All was as it should be.

(End? I think Not! Lol! Next chapter soon!)


	23. Chapter 23: Off Again

Chapter Twenty Three: Off Again

It was a hot day and a relaxed weekend for the two brothers. A month had gone by and much had changed. The Celestial Trainers had been taken down... or at least their leader. Eclipse, aka: Jake, now had a well paying job as a scientist's assistant and had a lab of his own in his basement. All the other members went along to live their own lives and their Remnants? Free will and back to the way a normal Tamer and Remnant should live together. Nova, or Jillian, regained her heart with the help of Jake. Her heart was repaired and Larxene was still a free and Tamerless Remnant because of Luxord. Nonetheless, she remained loyal to her Tamer. The wings Koji had gained in the final battle was gone. They were gone when he left that world. Jake mentioned something about Remnant Dust but his brother, Kenji, had shut him up, saying something about big words.

In this world's news, Koji's mom stayed home more. Apparently the realization of having another son to take care of (for she kindly adopted Kenji in) had hit a home run. She was now a normal mother, taking care of her kids as she should. That meant Koji wasn't allowed to come and go as he pleased any more but he was fine with it. Harry spazzed out when he heard what happened and wasn't too happy that they didn't let him come along.

Now everything was at peace. The two brothers sat in front of the TV, not even bothering to use the couch. Each was concentrated on the video game challenge of a life time as they tried to beat each other and proved who was the best gamer. Koji was a bit more active about it, his tongue partially out in concentration as he moved the controller now and then. Kenji on the other hand was still and his eyes perfectly glued to the TV. His hair was shorter now, now just barely touching his shoulders. It had been re-died black just a week before because his white hair was starting to grow back out. Koji's mom took him out for a shopping event so she could get him some actual clothes. He saw the sign saying 'hair cuts here' and wanted to take the advantage of the fact he had money to spend.

Today he wore a black T-shirt with a small chibi skull on the front. Though locked in concentration with the game, he still managed to blow a bubble with his bubble gum.

The dispute went on for several more minutes till the words winner finally scrolled on the screen. Kenji leapt up into the air.

"I win! I just owned you! Ha!"

Koji fell back. "Argh! I lost! Again!"

"Hey, do you boys want a snack?" Their mom called out from the kitchen.

Koji and Kenji looked at each other. Then they each got up at the same time, racing over the couch and into the kitchen. Both then tackled their mother to the floor laughing.

"Heck yeah!" The both said in unison.

"Ah! You almost made me drop the cookies!" She laughed.

Koji and Kenji let her up. She mumbled something about boys and set the cookies out on the stove.

"Now they have to cool okay?" She gave 'the look' to Shadow.

Their mom made cookies more these days. She made them when Kenji was first let into the family. Koji was absolutely shock that Kenji had no idea what cookies were in the first place. Kenji fell in love immediately though and the second time she made them Kenji didn't know about letting them sit and cool...

Kenji laughed. "Their good!"

She shook her head and walked out of the room.

Just then the kitchen door opened and Harry walked in. "Surprise visit!" He laughed.

"Sup Harry!" They both said.

Harry waved and looked to the stove. "Oh! Cookies!" He walked over to the stove and reached...

"NOES!!" Kenji exclaimed and tackled him away.

"What the heck?" Harry shoved him off. "What was that about?"

Kenji's breathing became uneven. "Theys... burn... burn you I say!" He started making hissing sounds.

Harry and Koji watched him for a little bit as he had his spasms of hisses. Koji then waved his hand. "Yeah... he does that sometimes..."

Harry laughed. "So... anything new with the whole Tamer thing?"

Koji sighed. "No. These days are pretty much normal."

Kenji stood up. "If you call living with Axel normal."

Harry looked around. "Speaking of which, where is the trio?"

"They're with Eclipse. They are trying to find a way to return Larxene to Jillian without hurting Luxord in the process." Koji answered.

Harry tapped his chin. "You know, maybe that Remnant Basics book has the answer."

Kenji fell backwards, laughing. "We've broken so many Tamer/Remnant rules I don't think the book applies to us anymore!"

Koji leaned back in his chair and pressed his feet against the side of the table. "It still helps though."

Kenji sat on the table and fiddled with Koji's Dr. Pepper. "Who wrote that book anyways?"

The room was silent.

"You mean Dark didn't make it?" Koji asked, confused.

Kenji raised and eyebrow. "What ever gave you the idea that he made it?"

"I don't know... I just assumed."

Harry eyed Kenji suspiciously. "So who wrote it?" He asked.

Kenji put his fingers to his lips in a silent hush. "I don't know, do you Koji?"

Koji picked up his Dr. Pepper and took a sip. He immediately spit it back out and ran to the sink.

"Hothothothothothothothot! Omigosh hot!" He stuck his mouth under the faucet and rinsed his mouth.

"Did you like you're Dr. Pepper?" Kenji laughed.

"What did you do to it!?"

Kenji laughed harder. "I thought I'd make your drink better if it had real pepper!"

Koji shot him a glare.

"But seriously guys." Harry choked down his laughter. "Who made the book? And sent the coats? Who knows all there is to know about Remnants and Tamers?"

Kenji looked at Koji deviously. Then he leapt into the air letting out a loud woot. "Another adventure! Yay us!"

"You can't be serious..." Koji growled. "Just as things settle down?"

Kenji smacked Koji on the back. "A month is more than enough time to settle down!"

Koji pushed himself away. "What about mom? She's not going to just let us walk out the door and leave! Besides, we don't know where to start looking!"

Kenji pulled his book out of nowhere. "It is special! It must have clues! We can be like detectives!" He flipped through the book frantically. "Aha!"

"What?" Koji looked over Kenji's shoulder.

"My flippy doodle worked!" He said proudly.

"Your _what_?"

"Meh Flippy Doodley thinger." He flipped through the book revealing a stick figure at the bottom corner, dancing.

"Gimme that!" Koji snatched it from his brother and looked for any clues on it's maker. "Nothing..." He sighed.

Harry shook his head sadly. "What to do then?"

Kenji looked sadly at his feet. Then a devious smile crept a crossed his face. He looked over at the two, evil plan written all over his face.

"What?" Asked Harry.

"I vote we visit Tetsuya Nomura."

"Are you kidding!?" Koji exclaimed. "What do plan to do? Just come crashing in there with three Ex-Nobodies and burst into his office and say 'Hey dude, I know you probably don't know english but did you by any chance bring you're characters to life and turn them into little characters?' Are you crazy?"

Kenji laughed.

Koji growled. "And then we'll be all like, 'what? Magic pen? You wanted to do a chibi calendar and things went horribly wrong?' Kenji, this is your worst yet."

Kenji smiled. "And that's exactly why it will work."


	24. Chapter 24: What Plans?

Chapter Twenty Four: What Plans?

"You guys want to _what?_" Tara gave them her 'you guys are crazy' look"

"Not us." Koji defended. "Kenji wants to drag all of us, as in we, to Japan."

"You guys are out of your minds." Zexion sighed.

Tara shook her head. "I agree. All this for one stupid book? Do you want to get arrested? Or worse? You can have you're Remnants taken by the government for experimentation or something!"

Kenji grinned. "But aren't you _interested?_"

"I'm perfectly content right where I am!"

Kenji put on his pout face and turned to Star. "Please? I know you would love to go with your _**best friend**_! Please Kaleb?"

Kaleb turned away. "No. I have a history project to do now that I'm back in school. Grades are very important these days."

Kenji rolled his eyes. "Oh, now you're dedicating your life to school now that you don't have the superior to kiss up to."

"That's not it!" Kaleb snapped.

"Face it!" Kenji continued. "You take lessons from Saix about butt kissing!"

"I find that offensive!" Saix growled. "For one, I do nothing of such sort and two, I'm right here you moron! I can hear everything you say!"

"Your point?" Asked Kenji.

"Okay you guys!" Jake stepped between them. "No more fighting. And Kenji?"

"Hm?"

Jake shoved a finger into his chest. "I forbid you to go see Testuya Nomura. I think the guy has enough on his hands as it is. He doesn't need thirteen Remnants walking in and giving him a heart attack!"

"But--!"

"--Kenji, I think Jake is right." Vexen cut in. "I'd listen to him if I were you."

Kenji frowned. "But if you were me then I'd be you. If I were you I could pull so many pranks right now on that Tamer of yours while Koji can have a freakish scientifically dude as a brother." He chuckled. "Face it Vexen, I think there is a reason we are as we are."

"Kenji..." Jake growled.

"Fine..." Kenji grumbled.

Koji shook his head slowly. "I told you it was a bad idea..."

Kenji quickly turned his head to look at him with a mischievous grin. "And you're the one to make that decision? Who's the older brother here Roxel!?"

"Don't call me that!" Koji snapped, slowly pulling up his sweater's hood. "It's not my fault."

Tara snapped his hood back down and grabbed his face, forcing him to look into her eyes. "Aw, but you look so cute this way! You should do that some more!" She giggled as he pulled away.

Koji was about to say something harsh back but stopped himself. He had never heard her giggle that way... or giggle at all...

"I don't even look like him..." He grumbled instead. "All that changed in that fight is my eye color..."

"Does your mom know?" Asked Kaleb.

Kenji laughed. "No! You should see him try to hide it too! Do you know how hard that must be to hide a bright green eye and a deep blue one? Especially since his eyes used to be brown!"

"Sorry..." mumbled Roxas.

"For what?" Asked Koji. "You did nothing wrong!"

Axel rubbed his head like he had a migraine. "Oh man... if any of the fangirls knew about this I think they'd go yaoi ballistic on you."

Koji glared at his full sized Remnants. "Oh, not me. You. They'd think you raped Roxas or something."

Tara put her arm around Koji's neck. "Calm down now. No reason to get frustrated over something that has already happened."

"Yeah but you guys don't have to rub it in." He whined.

Jake glared one more time at Kenji. "Japan is officially off limits for now. Got that!?"

"Yes..." Kenji growled.

--

"So when are we going?" Asked Kenji just as they entered their house.

"Um, Kenji did you not just hear what Jake said!? He said NO!" Koji collapsed into a chair next to the table.

Kenji gave him a smirk. "You know me better than that! Shame on you Koji!" He grabbed a cookie and popped it into his mouth, chewing slowly to save the flavors.

Koji watched his brother melt into happy-place-R-US for a while, then grabbed an unopened Dr. Pepper can. "What about the money? And our Mom? And School?"

Kenji waved his hand as if to brush away his pressing questions. "That's easy! No worries!"

Koji sighed. "I really don't like this... I really don't."

Kenji grinned. "You don't have to my dear brother. You don't have to."

--

It was a dark, silent night. Two dark figures stood in the train station, awaiting it's arrival. They stood for hours, alone in the dark.

Waiting, just waiting.

Then the familiar clacks and a screeching halt. The train slowed to a stop and the doors opened. No one came out. For a while that is.

Ragged breathing soon came to their ears. It was uneven and raspy. A thick, black, oozing hand grabbed the side of the door. The thing came out, it's blood dripping like goop more that a liquid, coming off of him with spread apart splats. He pulled his deformed body out of the train and stood before the two figures. They bowed as he came up to them. He tried to stand up straight but his attempt failed. He was messed up passed all recognition and because of his now most hated enemy, he could no longer be considered human.

"Where... is he..." He rasped.

The younger one, maybe twenty raised his head. "Who sire?"

"Koji!!" He barked, then coughed up more goopy blood.

The two cloaked men looked at each other. Then lowered their heads once again.

"We'll find him Superior... We'll find him..."


	25. Chapter 25: Up and Away

Chapter Twenty Five: Up and Away

Koji sat down and sighed. He looked out the window at the rain.

"How'd you do it? I can't seem to figure it out!" He moaned.

Kenji grinned. "I know people who know people who are related to people who work for people that know people that happen to work for people that are married to people..."

Koji groaned. "And yet you managed to get us a plane to Tokyo without passports, no money and no parent permission what-so-ever."

Kenji grinned. "Yup!"

"You're crazy..." Axel mumbled from Koji's pocket.

"Not crazy." Kenji pointed out. "Just misunderstood."

Koji groaned and leaned up against the window. "We've been here for two whole hours!"

His brother grinned. "At least it isn't delayed!"

"Don't jinx it!" He grumbled and slid down his seat.

"Stop." Kenji pulled Koji back up. "You're gunna draw attention to us!"

"Draw attention?" Koji growled. "You draw attention, you all gothic dressed and stuff! Look around us? Do you see anyone one else like that?"

Kenji looked down at his clothes. "What?"

Koji scowled. Kenji was dressed in black, baggy pants with multiple chains hanging off of it. He wore his favorite chibi skull T-shirt and a silver, thick chained, necklace with a big cross on it. Not to mention his pink eyes were always outlined with black eyeliner...

"You're so annoying, you know that?"

Kenji gave him a fanged grin. "I try my best."

--

Koji buckled the seat belt on the plane and turned to Kenji who had the window seat. "You ready for this?"

Kenji smirked. "Of course!"

Koji placed his coat in the empty seat next to his and suddenly realized something. He turned back to Kenji and raised and eyebrow.

"Did your voice just crack?"

"No!" He answered quickly. "Now is this plane taking off or what? I want to meet Nomura-San!"

Koji laughed and set Axel and Roxas in the empty seat. This way they could hide in the coat if someone was looking and not be in his stuffy pockets.

Kenji's odd behavior passed through his mind for only a second, and then he waved it away. His brother could be so weird sometimes.

The plane took off into the rainy sky and Koji felt his heart skip and his stomach leap when the left the ground. He let out his breath and laughed. It was an interesting experience.

"Hey Kenji?" He laughed and turned to his brother. He could only stare in amusement as he watched him.

Kenji's hand seemed to be attached to the arm rests, clenched like claws. His eyes were shut tight and he was pressed to the back of his chair.

"Eh... Kenji?"

"What!?" He snapped, not opening his eyes.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong what makes you think something is wrong there is absolutely nothing wrong with me you're crazy if you think that STOP ASKING ME WHAT"S WRONG!!"

Koji watched Kenji gasp for air from that never ending sentence. Then said, "I asked only once."

Kenji said nothing.

Koji shook his head and laughed. "Oh dear brother? Are you afraid of heights?"

"No!" Kenji defended and jerked up. "I'm afraid of falling! FALLING!!"

"What about that cliff in the Between Realm?"

"That had safe guards! You were warped to the bottom when you fell of the edge! No splat!"

Koji looked out Kenji's window. They had broken out of the clouds and the plane now drying in the warm sun. He reached over and shut the window. "How's that?"

Kenji shook his head. "We are in the air! I'm not an idiot! Just because I can't see it doesn't mean I'll think we are on the ground!"

"Pretend." Koji told him calmly. "Just pretend."

Kenji glared.

"Calm down." Demyx said to Kenji. "What could happen?"

"What could happen? I'll tell you what will happen!" Kenji freaked. "This storm could get worse and worse till lightning is coming from everywhere! High winds will force us to fly at a lower elevation and into the stormy clouds! Then as we are flying we could get hit by lightning! The wing falls off and we are spiraling down to earth! Smoke is coming out and people are screaming but it is too late for help! We fall faster and faster till we hit the ground and BOOOOOOM!!"

This last word caused several kids on the plane who were listening to scream, concealing Demyx's squeal. Demyx jumped into Koji's pocket, whimpering.

"Now hold on there Kenji, you might start freaking the pilot out!"

Kenji glared. "These planes aren't even driven by the pilots anymore... it's all computers... what if we get a virus and BOOM!!"

More screams and laughter from Axel.

Koji shook his head. Then he opened the window and pointed to the clouds. "See? It's not raining and the clouds are clearing."

Roxas climbed up onto Kenji's lap. "Why are you afraid of heights anyways?"

Kenji shuddered. "I don't want to talk about it..."

"Come on. Tell us." Koji begged. "It'll blow time away."

Kenji let out a snort. "Yeah. Till our dooms..."

"Please?" Demyx asked. "I don't even know."

Kenji thought on it for a bit. "Fine." He mumbled.

_Flash Back (lol because we all luv them XD)_

_Kenji was seven, standing out on the beach. There was a big pool separate from the ocean all the kids were swimming in. The high dive was popular and all the boys were jumping off. A couple of boys were teasing Kenji to go on._

_"Come on granny, try it out!"_

_"Stop callin me that!" Kenji yelled, covering his white hair._

_The boys only laughed and dragged him along. "You to chicken grandma?"_

_"No!" Kenji defended. "I'm just not sure the life guard likes me."_

_"Who cares? Get up there!"_

_"Or are you to scared like an old granny eh?" They all laughed._

_Kenji puffed up and marched to the high dive. "I'm not afraid, I'll show you!"_

_The boys gathered around and watched as Kenji made his way up the very high ladder. Once he made it up he looked out over the ocean._

_"Hey you can see allot up here! It's so pretty!" He laughed and faked a few jumps. Then suddenly out of nowhere a seagull dived out of the sky and attacked him. He yelped out in surprise and stepped back and off the high dive. He fell, making quick loud yelps all the way down and he fell in with a loud -smack!-"_

Kenji shuddered again and Koji could only stare.

"A... Seagull? Are you serious?"

Axel rolled over, laughing so hard Koji was afraid he'd draw attention to himself.

"Yes, a seagull!!" He defended. "A bloody seagull!"

Koji chuckled. "A seagull isn't going to get you in here."

Kenji slumped in his chair. "That's not it! I'm not afraid of seagulls you nitwit it's heights! Falling! And the splats!"

Koji shook his head, laughing quietly. "My gosh Kenji, you were even pathetic as a kid!"

"I'm not pathetic! I'm extremely smart and cunning! How do you think I come up with half these pranks! And besides, I'm not afraid of just high places, only _**extremely**_ high places. Like a thousand feet over the ocean." Kenji sat up and tapped Koji's head. "Remember that chandelier in the Between Realm castle's main hall? I can sit up there without being afraid!"

Koji looked at him blankly. "Now what were you doing up there?"

Kenji beamed. "A prank. I spread oil all over the floor and watched everyone slip and slid a crossed it."

Koji frowned. "Wouldn't oil be a bit noticeable?"

"Nah, not if you use vegetable oil or something."

"Where did you get that much oil to... oh never mind." Koji shook his head.

The plane lurched, causing Kenji to yelp and clutch his chair.

Koji laughed. "Don't worry. You always have the plane ride back!"

Kenji growled and glared at him. "Oh, when this is over--!"

Another lurch of the plane made him shut up as he gripped his chair tighter.


	26. Chapter 26: Mysterious Mischeif

Chapter Twenty Six: Myserious Mystcheif

Though the plane ride was fun, Koji still couldn't help but have a great time laughing over his brother's misery. Especially when the plane was coming in for a touch down. As Koji grabbed his luggage he could still hear his screams of, '_we're gunna die, we're gunna die, we're gunna die!_'

Koji stepped outside into the bright sun and looked at the huge city of Tokyo. It was amazingly huge compared to Koji's small town. What you'd call a city there was the group of two story buildings and stores on one or two streets. This place was huge, and if Koji's reading was correct, one of the world's largest cities. It wasn't really pretty like the pictures of New York and stuff, but still amazing.

"So... this is Tokyo..." Kenji gasped as he stepped outside. "Pretty cool I guess..."

"You guess? Kenji, this is awesome!"

Kenji yawned and tried to play off his casual self as if the plane incident was in a different existence. "Yeah, well we have no ride so I guess we walk? No family members here and all..."

Koji shook his head. "And I suppose you didn't bring enough money to get us a hotel?"

Kenji dug into his pockets and pulled out a twenty-dollar bill. "Nah... And I don't think they would accept--!" He gasped and dug into his pockets frantically. "Koji!" He gasped, grabbing him by the collar of his coat. "Check you're pockets!"

Koji groaned and pulled them out. "Empty, why do you think I stole something of yours?"

Kenji scowled. "No Koji! What are _**you**_ missing!?"

Koji looked at him blankly. "I didn't bring anything in my pockets Kenji!" He smacked his brother's hands away. "My pockets are reserved for--" Koji blinked as he suddenly grasped the situation. Then he dug down into his pockets, into his backpack and everywhere else he could think of.

"The Remnants!!" He gasped. "They're gone!"

"Pickpockets?" Asked Kenji.

"No... Axel would've bit them. He wouldn't let himself get kidnapped."

"Of course!" Kenji smacked his head. "I remember Abyss, erm, Zeek now again I guess, saying something like that! I assumed it was Axel of course."

"What are we going to do!?"

Kenji leaned back and sighed. "Well, I recall something in the book saying that Remnants can sense where their Tamers are, so, really, we just continue forward and find a place to stay."

Koji growled. "Okay, there are three things wrong with that. One: Axel wouldn't have the common sense to stay hidden and he'd drag Roxas and Demyx out with him, two: we have no money and no idea where to stay or how we'd go about doing it and three: there is no forward without a plan! So far the future is full of police, a burning building of Square Enix and doom."

Kenji grinned. "Hey, I got an idea!"

"What?" Koji asked hopefully.

"I say we get something to eat! I'm starved!"

--

"Are you sure you know what you are doing?" Asked Roxas.

Axel shushed him. "Of course I know what we are doing! Would we be here if I didn't?"

"Uh, yeah!"

"Oh, what do you know?"

"Enough." Roxas tapped his foot impatiently on the ground. "Know will you tell me what we are up to?"

"Nothin much..." He grinned. "Just gettin a little somethin somethin."

"What is it?" Asked Demyx, pushing his way closer to Axel, who quickly pushed him away.

Axel peered around the corner once again and stared out at the crowd. "Do you see that?" He pointed out to the crowd.

"No." Demyx whined. "I don't see it..."

Axel pushed Demyx in front of him, who let out a squeak. The he clapped his hands over Demyx's fin-like ears and directed his head out to the exact location. "There."

"That necklace that girl is wearing? Why would you be interested in that?"

Axel growled a true animal like growl in frustration. "No, look at what's on it. Do you see that stone?"

"Oh, I see it!" Exclaimed Roxas. "What about it though."

Axel sighed. "Do you remember when I dug through Eclipse's, I mean, Jake's records?"

Roxas nodded. "That's where you read about Kaleb. It had all the prophecies and Jake said Kaleb was the destined Tamer with the ability to bond with more than one Remnant."

Demyx gave them a confused look. "Um, but Kaleb has Saix and Lexaeus and Koji has you two so which is the chosen one?"

"Like I care." Axel snorted. "A more important question is why all these Tamer's names start with K!"

Demyx frowned. "What about Jillian? And Jake? And Zeek? And Tara? And Sarah? And--"

"Okay, I get the point Demyx!" Axel yanked him back at the same time Roxas asked, "Which one is Sarah?"

Axel peered around the corner, checking to see if the girl was still there. "It's _the_ stone. I can feel it."

"I'm lost." Roxas fell to the floor in frustration. "I can't feel anything!"

"That's because you don't really live inside the rule box of Remnants." Axel picked him back up.

Demyx shrank back into the shadows. "B-but you can't mean! Jake said it was false!"

"But can't you _feel_ it?"

"Yeah, but--!"

"But nothing! Let's get it! Now!"

Roxas pulled Axel back before he could leave. "Wait! What are you talking about!?"

Axel took a deep breath in. "It's the stone in Jake's records he received from the same guy who would send that random Remnant stuff out to people. The one we are looking for now. You see, this stone has the power to make Remnant's actually _human_ again. Tamerless, normal sized, our powers are back and more importantly..." He held up Roxas's wings in example. "...actually normal looking."

"Really?" Roxas gasped. "Can it do all that?"

"I'm not lying! Let's go!" He quickly looked around the corner to see if she was still there. Then he quickly ran for it, diving in between feet unseen. Roxas and Demyx stumbled behind him, not as agile on their two feet as Axel was on four. Finally, they got to the girl who sat next to what appeared her mother.

"When's father getting here?" She asked impatiently.

"He's arranging plans, he'll be back in a sec." Said the mother.

They both spoke in Japanese, yet Axel found himself actually understanding them. He shook the strange moment off and climbed up on the chair next to her. Axel helped Demyx climb up as Roxas gently fluttered up himself, being careful that a kid didn't happen to see a 'fascinating butterfly.'

Axel whispered to the plans into his friends ears and then climbed up on the back of the chair. Using his tail to grip the chair, he leaned over and reached for the clasp of the necklace... to find he couldn't quite reach.

He repositioned himself and reached again. The girl sighed and flopped back. "He should hurry up!" She moaned.

Axel held his breath and tried to sit as still as possible. He was leaned up against her bare neck and her ponytail had managed to get behind him. He could feel his tiny Remnant heart beat ten times faster. Axel could only hope she couldn't feel him back there...

She crossed her arms and pouted as her mother gently smacked her leg with a rolled up magazine. "Now behave yourself. We just have to be patient."

Axel knew he had to act fast if he was to get that small blue rock. He slowed reached down and grasped the clasp. He gently pulled it open and now had both ends in each hand.

The girl felt Axel's hands brush against the back of her neck and tried to brush what she thought was a bug off. What she felt was no bug and she quickly grabbed it, pulling it around and in front of her face.

Axel didn't let go of the necklace and found himself face to face with her, his arms pinned to his side from her one hand. He grinned nervously as her eyes widened.

"A-Axel...?" She asked, recognizing him from the game.

Her mom on the other hand, was not as educated as her daughter. She took one look at him and screamed.

"Rat! Oh my gosh a rat!" She screamed and smacked him out of her daughter's hands with the magazine. Axel would've been sent flying away from them if he had let go of the necklace. Instead, he was jerked back and left hanging on her neck.

She jumped up out of her seat and Axel let go. He fell and the necklace slid off of her neck and landed beside him. With his plans foiled, Axel quickly gathered up the necklace and ran. Demyx and Roxas quickly followed.

"Wait!" She yelled after them, but Axel was determined to leave as soon as possible and make it back to safety. He tripped and fell as his feet slipped over the chain and his spine tried to force him back down on all fours. The people in the airport tried to look for what the mom and girl were yelling about but the trio climbed up into a rolling object of some sort and hid in the blankets.

"Way to close Axel, waaay to close." Roxas quickly muttered and wrapped the chain around him hastily. Axel held on to the stone as close to his heart as possible, way to afraid to move. They heard a small laugh like giggle and whirled around to see a small chubby face smiling at them.

"Aww! It's so cute!" Demyx squealed.

Axel stared at it. "Quiet Demyx, we don't want the parent's finding out!" Axel snapped, pulling him back from the baby.

Tears grew in the baby's eyes and it hiccupped.

"Quick! Do something!" Roxas gasped and Axel jumped onto it's chest.

"Hey hey hey! Don't cry, don't cry! Look! We are still here!" He shushed but it continued to snuffle.

Demyx leapt over next to Axel. "No! Babies like it when mean things happen to people!" And he swung his leg under Axel, catching his feet and making him fall flat on his face.

The baby burst into squealing giggles.

"Demyx, I will kill you!" Axel growled and stood up.

"Door out! Ten 'o clock!" Roxas pointed out. "Let's get out of here!"

"Freedom's song, here we come!" Axel cheered. Demyx jumped out and Roxas almost did but was held back when Axel grabbed his shirt.

"What?" Roxas asked.

Axel gave him a frightened look. "He's... got my... tail..."

Roxas looked behind Axel to find the baby had indeed grabbed his tail and was making pitiful squeaking sounds. Roxas pulled the chain off Axel, leaving the stone with him and fluttered up to the top of the stroller. He tied the thick chain to it and dangled the chain in front of the baby. Like a cat to string, it let go of Axel and grabbed on to it. Roxas pushed Axel out and ran for the door.

"Isn't that sort of thing bad for babies?" Demyx asked when they reached him.

"Nah, I tied it to high for him or her to swallow it." Roxas assured.

"Just go!" Axel yelled and pushed them outside.

They leapt out and almost got crushed by more feet. They were stuck dodging and leaping into different directions to flee the fate of being squished. Axel dodged out and sat there, clutching the stone in his safe spot. Roxas came afterwards and bumped into Axel. The blue stone slipped out of his grasped and skid a crossed the ground.

"No!" He screamed and leapt after it. He managed to catch it before it could slide farther. He let out a sigh and Demyx landed on top of him in attempt to catch the rock himself.

The rock skid a crossed the cement once again and fell to the edge of a drain, where it rocked back and forth a few times and fell.

Axel leapt a second too late and was left with an empty hand, reaching down into the drain. The holes between the bars were way to thin for even a Remnant to fit. He sat back on all fours and looked longingly into the dark waters, his ears drooped down and tail curled around his feet.

Roxas and Demyx looked over Axel's shoulders and down into the abyss as well.

They stared into the drain for the long and endless minutes, their hopes of being normal humans again lost.

"Well... I guess we need to get going now... Koji needs us..." Roxas whispered, breaking the silence.

Axel nodded sadly.

Demyx sat up and stretched. "I know Kenji is looking for me!" Demyx chirped happily.

Axel got up and walked towards the direction his Tamer was. His usually perked up and twitchy tail now dragged behind him.

Roxas pat Axel on the back. "Maybe when Kenji visits that one guy, he'll be able to change us back to normal! What about that huh? I mean, he must've made the stone right? He knew about us!"

Axel's ears twitched. "Yeah, maybe. Yeah! And we are on our way right now!"

Roxas leaned in closer and whispered, "Well then let's go find him!"

"Yes!" Demyx shouted. "Let's go!"


	27. Chapter 27: Who's Here?

Chapter Twenty Seven: Who's Here?

_This is going to be one stressful day_ Koji thought glumly.

Kenji turned to him and as if reading his thoughts answered, "Oh, cheer up emo kid! At least we found our Remnants!"

Koji could only glare at him. "And is it only that? No! We have no money, nowhere to stay, we have no idea where we are headed and finally we may be stuck here since we have no money for plane tickets back!"

Kenji shook his head. "I know people dear brother, I know people." He then looked around where they had aimlessly put themselves. "Oh, I smell ramen!"

"With what money?" Koji growled.

"Yen!" His gothic brother cheered and held some foreign money above his head.

"Where did you get that!?"

Kenji smiled. "I know people!"

Koji was still confused. "Yeah, but _**when**_ did you get that? You didn't have it when we got off the plane."

Kenji made a clicking sound with his tongue. "I got skills my friend, I got skills."

"You never cease to amaze me..." Koji sighed.

They sat down and ordered ramen, Kenji grabbing a bag of Swedish Fish from another stand. The Remnants helped them with their new found ability of understanding different languages.

Koji took a bite of noodles and found himself watching Kenji, who had ignored his ramen and was eating his gummy candies.

Koji had long ago found his brother's weird habit with the red fish. He now watched as Kenji found fascination in mutilating them before eating. His first he'd twist before it was unrecognizable before popping it into his mouth. The second he bit the head and pulled, stretching it out as far as it could before shoving the whole thing into his mouth. The third he placed the tail on his thumb and held it's head with his index finger. Then, supporting the sides with his other hand, squished it so it was now an obese and demonic looking fish and ate that.

"That's a bad habit you know." Koji said with a full mouth.

Kenji only answered with, "Eating with your mouth full is a bad habit." and then tied the next fish into a pretzel.

Koji laughed. "Now what if you run out of ideas to kill your fish?"

Kenji grinned. "Run out of ideas?" He grabbed another fish and tore it in half from it's stomach and shoved it in his brother's face. "Never!" Then popped that into his mouth.

Koji only shook his head and slurped up some more noodles. The silence though, was short lived.

"I got one of these stuck up my nose once!" Kenji randomly spouted.

"You what!?"

Kenji frowned staring at his soon-to-be mutilated fish. "Well, maybe two... okay three. But there was a really good reason!"

Koji stared. Then he growled, "Did our dad drop you on you're head when you were a kid?"

"Well fine. Four Swedish Fish, and yes he did. Multiple times." Kenji grumbled and stabbed his fish with some chopsticks.

"That explains so much..." Axel moaned.

"Uh, Koji?" Roxas whispered up to his Tamer. "Don't turn around..."

"Why?" Koji asked, turning around to see what Roxas was talking about. He then saw a pair of _**very**_ familiar eyes staring back, confused.

"Aw SNAP!!" He exclaimed, whirling back around and covering his face. "Did he see me!?"

"He's coming this way actually..." Roxas answered with an irritated voice.

"What, what?" Kenji looked around and gasped, whirling back around himself.

To Koji's horror, he felt a hard finger jab his back.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" It growled.

Koji slowly turned back around. "Heh, heh, heh... Hey dad..."

Kenji snickered. "What's up old man? I'd thought you'd died of wrinkle-bronchitis or something."

His dad, Jack, glared. "And who are you punk!?"

"Oh-ho! So you don't remember! Why it's the amazing Kenji Adams here in your presence! Now kneel before me peasant!"

Jack's face seemed to lighten up in realization, then it came back down into that hard stare. "So, it's you... how's your mother these days."

"On the street corner, being a slu--" Koji covered Kenji's mouth before he could finish.

"Heh, heh. Well why talk about us? Why not talk about you?" Koji tried to cover.

Kenji tore himself away from Koji. "Oh! Yes! Let's! Sooo... dad. How many half siblings do you think we have right about now? Twelve? Eleventy-four?"

Koji brought his fist to his forehead and his dad sighed. "No, it's just you two. Never really had time for women. To busy doing other stuff I regret."

Kenji raised an eyebrow. "And what's keeping you now?"

"Jacky!!" A shrill voice called. His father winced.

An old lady and her husband came over, hugging him. "Oh who are these people? Won't you introduce us?"

Jack growled. "Koji, Kenji. These are my parents."

"We have grandparents in Japan!?" Koji gasped.

At the same time Kenji had shouted, "They just keep getting older!"

Their grandma gasped. "So these are your boys!" She cheered and hugged Koji. "Kawaii desu ne?" She said, turning to her husband. The she reached to hug Kenji but drew her arms back in. "And... Kenji..." She mumbled, looking him over.

He gave her his evil smile. "Oh, I bite too. Just thought I'd give you the heads up. I left my warning sign at home."

"So what brings you here?" Their dad asked.

"Looking for a company or something related to Square Enix." Kenji answered immediately.

"Why?" The grandma asked.

"Just looking. It's kinda related to that game called Kingdom Hearts. Heard of it?"

"Why yes. Very popular you know. I think I read about it somewhere but I'm not sure. Osaka might have been involved.

"Osaka?" The brothers asked in unison.

The grandma nodded. "Yes... I think. You headin there?"

"Why not." Koji shrugged.

Their grandma grinned. "I could get you there. Or more of, I have a friend who can. He drives a truck back and forth. He can give you a ride."

"Sweet!" Kenji shouted. "How soon?"

"In about an hour. Come with us!"

Koji and Kenji glance at each other. Maybe their father had a use after all...


	28. Chapter 28: Here we go Again

Chapter Twenty Eight: Here we go Again

Koji and Kenji Adams waited in what seemed the middle of nowhere for what seemed hours for what seemed no apparent reason. Their ride had been delayed a whole day. Now they stood on the corner being bored to death. Kenji found fun in their long wait by making fun of the sudden DNA transfer that seemed to have happened over night. Koji woke up and behold! Blond colored roots and red tipped hair! It still got boring though when Koji finally ignored his teasing. In fact he was so tired of waiting for the hours they had been there he felt like laying himself a crossed the ground for the majority of the time. Only did Kenji finally throw up his hands in defeat and was about to leave did a truck pull up. The driver of this huge cargo truck got out and looked as if he was about to jump for joy.

"Koji-san! Kenji-san! Ogenki desu ka?"

Kenji snickered to himself as he watched Koji's expression empty to a blank stare. Then he heard Axel whispered into Koji's ear. "Psst! Koji! Say, 'Hai, genki desu. Anata wa?'"

Koji stepped forward and without hesitating said, "Hi, kinki desk. Aunita's wall?"

Axel palmed his forehead and Kenji snorted.

The truck driver laughed. "You no speak well Japanese ya?"

"No..." Koji replied pitifully.

"Get in!" He motioned to his truck. Kenji jumped in the passenger's seat and Koji jumped behind them. The truck took off and without any respect to privacy, Kenji dug into his stuff, retrieving a map in the end. He looked at it thoughtfully, nodding here and there and making small humming sounds. Then he threw it to Koji.

"I don't get this!" He whined.

Koji snatched it from the ground where it had fallen. "You're starting to sound like Demyx!" He looked it over, trying to comprehend the Kanji. "Well... erm... you see..."

"There's Osaka!" Axel pointed from Koji's shoulder.

Kenji looked over to see if the bus driver had seen Koji's Remnant, which he had. The driver looked at Axel for a few seconds before loosing interest in him and looking back at the road and bobbing his head to his music.

Kenji shrugged and pushed the map closer to Koji. "And...?"

"We are going there." Koji growled and crumpled the map up, throwing it at him when he had a satisfying ball. "What more do you need?"

"How long...?" He whined some more like a puppy begging for a ball.

"Unless you want to keep track of how many miles an hour we are going and do some math, I suggest accepting 'when we get there' for an answer."

Kenji's face fell and he turned back around in his seat and slouched till his head was the only thing against the back of the seat. Then he put his feet up on the dash and his arms up and around the head rest part so his hands dangled in front of Koji. His head filled with how many ways he could make this ride interesting.

Koji smacked his hands away. "Clean up your act Kenji! Geeze, you could be a tad bit more proper!"

Kenji pulled his stinging hands away. "Proper? Ha! I spit at proper!"

"Yeah, but I can at least deal with _Axel_... that should say a lot!"

"Hey!" Axel pouted. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Kenji grinned. "Ooh, cat fight!"

Koji scowled. "Hardly. Now put your seat belt on, we might get in an accident."

Kenji slouched farther into his seat, grinning wildly. "Ha! Of all these times we've been in a car have we been in an accident? Never!"

"Well it's better safe than sorry." Demyx informed.

"Swell." Kenji sighed. "Look, it's not like some thing is going to jump out in front of the truck and--"

Just at the right, and most brilliant timing this author could have chose, a dark thing jumped out and the driver slammed on his brakes, hitting the thing either way.

Kenji suddenly found a feeling weightlessness and a thrust forward that brought blinding pain to his head and then hitting something over and over again till he finally stopped.

Kenji slowly stood up, squinting his eyes to see through the blinding sunlight. He then realized he was outside, glass shattered before him and their truck, majorly dented in the front. He had been flung from his seat, out the front window and had bounced out into the street. Havoc lay everywhere. Cars crashed everywhere, cries of pain and several things were on fire. He spit out the familiar metallic taste of blood, memories of his fight with Abyss floating through his mind.

"Kenji!!" Koji cried, reaching to his brother.

Despite all that lay before him, Kenji grinned demonically. "Did you see that!? I sware, ten points for style right?"

Koji didn't pick up on his humor and looked as if he was going to emotionally brake down right on the spot. "You... you..."

Kenji lifted his arms and inspected the damage. "Huh... what do you know, I'm bleeding." He only had a little bit of scrapes and scratches... possibly soon to be bruises but it didn't really matter to Kenji. Almost all can heal.

The Kenji realized what they had hit. The black thing slowly got up from the front of the truck and glared at them, it's red eyes gleaming with hatred. It's ragged fur bristled on it's hunched back and it opened it's mouth with a growl, revealing it's long fangs, dripping with red.

"A Nightmare..." Kenji gasped.

The Nightmare quickly leapt for Kenji but before it could reach him a white van slammed into it's side, sending it flying into the building next to them. It dissinagrated in a cloud of smoke.

"What was that!?" Koji ran up next to Kenji, wanting answers.

"A thing from the Between Realm." Another voice answered. They both turned to see a man in a lab coat stepping out of the van. "I need you to come with me. I'm sure you all have questions... or answers for I myself don't seem to know all."

"Who are you!?" Kenji asked demandingly.

"Just another scientist. You can all call me Takashi though."

They all stared.

"I have a good feeling you were all headed to Osaka. I'm sorry, but there is a detour for Tamers and Remnants. Like I said, come with me if you want to know more. I'm sure it's questions that brought you here right?"

They nodded slowly. Kenji didn't like the idea at all. Isn't the stereotype for people who own white vans the kidnapper/rapist/slave trader/mental type of people?

"Okay. Let's go." Koji agreed.

Kenji sighed. '_idiot._'

He looked back at the wreckage between them and the truck that had crashed. Sirens could be heard in the distance.

That Nightmare was a common monster of the Between Realm, melted and twisted darkness of people's own demented thoughts. It reacted purely on people's emotions of fear, hatred, sadness, lust... A dangerous thing to have lurking in this world. That thing wouldn't have come here on it's own, and Dark's death and the CT's leave of the place should have sealed off all the possible exits and entries. Why was it here then?

Kenji shook his head, clearing thoughts of when he was known as Shadow. Their Superior always let it known that he always was high above them, near invincibility. It couldn't be unless...

...Unless he was still alive.

Then it hit him. Dark didn't die when Koji had let him fall into the realm's reality ripped holes. He had lived and was now using the realm to his advantage. He had a piece or more of the realm as apart of himself...

Then Kenji smiled his usual maniacal smile. If the Superior _was_ this way, he must be in al lot of pain and misery.

"You coming?" Takashi asked, tearing Kenji from his thoughts.

The Ex-CT member nodded, with a glazed look still in his eyes. "Yeah, I'm coming."


	29. Chapter 29: Kenji's Worst Day Ever

Chapter Twenty Nine: Kenji's Worst Day Ever

Kenji got comfortable in a seat facing the back door of the van. He noticed that the place was set up more like a lounge than for transportation. The back double doors of the van opened up to where they sat now. The three couches, possibly nailed to the floor or something, were pressed up against the two walls and the front seats where another man had floored the acceleration pedal to get them away from the scene. A nice rug of some sort was in the middle and various 'limo necessities' were here and there such as a cooler, cigarette dish, and what appeared to be a mini bar in the corner.

The man that had let them in opened the cooler. "Refreshments anyone? Dr. Pepper maybe, Koji?"

Koji, with a spark in his eyes, leaned forward to take the offer when Kenji coughed a few words into his hand. "Poison, Axel, remember?"

Koji quickly withdrew back into the safety of his seat and Takashi laughed. "Oh please, I'm here to help. I wouldn't go doing stuff like your organization did. What was your name? Shadow was it?"

"It's Kenji." He growled back, anger boiling inside. He didn't like how this guy came parading into their lives out of nowhere and now knew of these things about them.

"Ah, so you've abandoned your status as a Celestial Trainer then?" He asked, sipping a drink of his own. "How sad, I have to admit, you got one of the better name choices. I would've kept it. It seemed fitting for a Tamer like you."

"And you'd know what a Tamer like me would be like?" Kenji asked, his voice layered with a dark tone.

He nodded. "Yes, you see, you guys intrigue me. Well, mainly you Shadow. Koji had only caught my interest lately because of his little Remnant Dust accident a while ago but you..." He let his voice drift, as if caught in a dream. Then he shook himself out of it. "Well, let's just say rules were never your concern, even Tamer rules for that matter."

Finally, a spark of interest settled Kenji down. Someone interested in him? It was always Koji, Koji, Koji. The CT, His dad, Abyss/Zeek, heck, even he could see Tara's growing 'feelings' for Koji. Why would dull Kenji be involved? Maybe they could stay for a while... you know, just to hear the dude out.

Takashi smiled. "So, I'm sure you have many questions and I'm sure you want me to answer them all. Who's first?"

Kenji, deciding to get straight to the point, blurted, "Uh, yeah. Where are we going?"

Takashi laughed. "Why to my lab. I live there anyways and it's a short drive from here. You can meet my nephew there. He's a Tamer too."

"Why was a Nightmare here?" He asked again, not giving time for Koji to ask anything.

"Because, Dark is alive and is searching for something here. He's using Nightmares to help him and other beings of the Between Realm are sure to follow. He's Remnantless, for when Koji threw him into that reality rip it tore them apart. Xemnas is with me at home. Anything else?"

"Did you write that book?" Axel asked.

The scientist looked surprised, as if he was expecting their Remnants to be will broken like many others were before. Then he calmly answered. "Yes, I did. I also sent those coats for you. I had something else to send you but you all left and got on the plane. I assume the others got them though."

"For us?" Demyx asked, the sound of gifts bringing him out from his hiding place. Kenji could feel Demyx shake on his shoulder, still frightened from Kenji's 'reckless seat belt behavior.'

"No, for the Tamers." He reached behind the seat and pulled out a box and opened it. In it lay something that made Kenji's skin crawl like a million ants had gotten inside him.

"Shots?" Asked Koji.

Kenji scowled at how his brother could be so calm about it. "Stinkin _needles_ Koji. _**Needles**_."

"Yes, needles." The scientist nodded thoughtfully. "I thought you guys might be getting sick and tired of you're Remnant's DNA sneaking into yours. I did state in the book that whether you replicated their weapons or not, DNA will get into you over time."

"Yeah, well... The DNA never had affected me in the first place." Kenji snorted, turning his nose away like it was spinach pie. "I've copied Demyx's sitar many times and not a drop of him inside me."

"But what about Koji? I'm sure he is sick and tired of you calling him... oh what was that name... Roxel?"

At the mention of that name, Koji sunk into his seat and covered his face. Kenji suppressed a laugh. He didn't need to tell him twice.

"So you can leave me out and give him the shots right?"

"Nope." Takashi grinned evilly. "I have to give you the right dosage too I'm afraid. Just to make sure and all."

"Oooooh..." Axel cheered. "Him first!"

"Wha--? No. No! I don't need it!" Kenji scooted away.

Takashi pulled out one of the needles, the orange liquid sloshing around inside. "I agree, it seems more fun eh? Shadow?"

"No it does NOT! And don't call me Shadow!" He yelled, putting as much space between him and the evil scientist.

"Koji?"

"With pleasure!" His brother immediately got up and pinned him to the floor. Kenji squirmed out but then was trapped by another pair of arms. He looked up to see a face he never thought would be against him.

"Demyx! You TRAITOR!!" He spat. Fear clutched him, he couldn't move, try as he might. His feet were perfectly pinned down by Koji, and Demyx had a tight hold on his wrists he never thought the little wimp could pull off. He squirmed around, trying to find a weak point in their trap but there was none.

He paused as he felt a hand run up his arm gently, making all of his hairs stand on end.

"I never thought I'd ever see a human albino in my life, let alone one that was as gothic and punk as you..."

"Stop trying to make friendly conversation Dr. Frankenstein." He snapped.

Takashi shrugged. "I just find you intriguing that's all. All the way down to your last strand of DNA." He positioned the needle. "Now this will be over in a few seconds. It won't hurt... much."

"WHAT!?"

"Just stay still and it will go by faster." He mumbled. He jabbed the needle in and slowly injected the substance into his body.

Kenji yelled out in pain and shock as he felt the stuff ooze into him. The stuff burned like and acid, eating away anything in it's path that was alive. He tried to jerk away but they wouldn't let him get away from the monster that was trying to kill him. Instead, he shut his eyes tight, trying to ignore the burning pain that was slowly consuming his whole body. Finally he felt the needle leave his skin and he rolled over, trying to block out everything.

Then, through the pain he felt that someone was shaking him. He opened his eyes and saw through the dots forming in his vision that Takashi was helping him sit up.

"It doesn't hurt if your body is relaxed... I forgot to tell you."

Kenji held back the overwhelming urge to suddenly sock the guy in the face.

Takashi smiled. "At least your cuts are gone."

Kenji looked down at himself. He wasn't lying. Blood still covered him, but the cuts and scrapes that had covered his body had disappeared. Not counting the lingering burning of the terrible liquid, there was no more sores either. He could probably expect no bruises...

"I'd sell it as world cure for everything from cancer to broken limbs," He sighed, "But sadly it's toxic to everyone but Tamers..."

"Oh, that makes me feel so much better..." Kenji growled.

"Koji? Do you mind now?" The scientist asked.

"Not at all!" Koji chirped cheerfully. Then Dr. Hurts-A-lot jabbed another needle into Koji and behold, no pain.

"Oh, so he's got the lucky break."

Demyx sighed, and helped Kenji to his seat. "Oh Kenji, you wouldn't have stayed calm anyways..."

"So when does it kick in?" Asked Koji.

Takashi pushed his glasses up his nose. "Well, it starts immediately. Being that we are here I'd say by the time we get inside of my house you'll be back to normal."

Apparently Takashi had mind reading abilities or and internal radar because the van stopped then and there. The driver turned around in his seat. "We're here."

"Oh, _spiffy._" Kenji groaned, looking out the front window. "You live in a warehouse type of thing?"

"It's my lab and I live in my lab." He answered calmly. "It's got a nice lounge, bathroom, some beds and kitchen area.

"_Spiffy_." He repeated.

They climbed out and he looked over where he was likely to be staying the next couple nights. "Second and third floor?"

"The second is where I live and the third is the lab. First floor is mainly storage."

Kenji let out a snort. "And that's efficient how?"

When no one answered he looked back at Takashi, who was leaning over and whispering into Koji's ear. Koji's eyes were big with shock at first, but then they gained a mischievous glint.

"You done?"

"Yes, we are. Thank you for waiting Shadow."

"It's KENJI!!"

Takashi laughed. "But I like Shadow so much more. It suits you." He walked to the front door and opened it up wide. "So let's get you guys all situated in here. I think, Koji wants to clean up before getting to know my family?"

Koji nodded vigorously. Then he snapped his fingers and Axel and Roxas were standing beside him, Axel trying to contain laughter and Roxas looking quite suspicious himself.

"What?" He asked. "I just wanna chill. If _**you**_ want to clean up, be my guest."

Demyx stood by Koji, looking as if _he_ was Kenji about to pull a prank.

"Oh, the pool is in the second room, first floor. It's already warm for bathing if you feel like it..."

Kenji nodded. "See? Doesn't that sound good? I'll be upstairs lounging in the _lounge_ thank you."

He turned to leave but a hand grabbed his shoulder and spun him around.

Takashi waved a hand. "If you need me, Koji, I'll be upstairs." He laughed evilly and walked away.

"Hey! Let go Koji!" He growled and tried to pull away but then Axel grabbed him.

"Come, let's go Kenji." Koji laughed. "You don't know how long I've wanted to do this."

Kenji tore himself loose again, only to have all four of them grab him. "Do what!?" He asked, worry leaking into his voice. "What!?"

"Let's take a bath." Demyx laughed. Truth be told, Demyx had no evil laugh but to Kenji, it still put shivers through him.

"I don't wanna!" He yelled, trying to break free. "I just want to relax!"

They dragged him through the warehouse and into the second room where, like Takashi said, was a big pool. Steam rose from it making Kenji think of it more as a giant bath tub more than a pool.

"Wait! No! Give me a few minutes or something! I don't want to go!"

They tugged and dragged him anyways. Then they heaved him up and chucked him in. Kenji let out a shrill scream of terror before he hit the water. Then it was quiet as the water filled his ears. Kicking his legs in what he guessed was ten foot deep water, he swam up to the surface as gasped for air. Immediately he was grabbed and jerked back to the side of the pool where he was pinned.

"Hold still!" Demyx's voice giggled from somewhere else. Sounds of the debate on his doom were heard behind him.

"Oh, lavender smells nicely..."

"Should we do conditioner?"

"Yes, yes!"

"Clove! I vote clove!"

"Oh sweet! Clove it is!"

"What about this?"

Kenji wondered if his brother and his Remnants had suddenly gone girlish on him. He jerked his shoulders away from the wall, in hopes he would escape this unspeakable doom. It's not like he couldn't take a bath on his own! He could only let out a partial scream as he was pushed underwater. He nearly choked on the water as it filled his mouth but he was then yanked back up, sputtering.

Then he felt someone's hands dig into his hair and he squirmed in discomfort. "What are you doing to me!? For the love of all the realms I am sixteen!! I think I can take a bath by myself!!"

He only got giggles by the people he thought he knew behind him.

"We're cleaning you!" Koji's voice laughed.

"I can bloody see that!" He growled. "Oh no. Pink!? Pink bubbles, are you kidding me!?"

Kenji reached up to grab the hands of his tormentor but someone else grabbed them and held him still.

"Make sure to scrub now Koji." Roxas's voice informed.

"I will, I will." Koji answered.

Kenji writhed as he felt Koji's fingers dig into his scalp. "Hey! Stop! That hurts!!" Koji answered by digging in harder. "No! Leave me alone will you! What has gotten into you! Koji, as your older brother I demand you lay OFF!!"

"No can do! Sorry to say but this is for you're own good!"

Then, another shove sent him under water. He tried to resurface but they held him under as they scrubbed away the shampoo.

He couldn't get loose and just as he thought he was going to faint from the lack of oxygen the pulled him back up.

With his hands held tight he could not rub the stinging soap from his eyes. He kept them squeezed shut as Koji put what he assumed was conditioner now onto his head. Some one else went to scrubbing his face.

"What are you doing now?" He spurted from behind the wet cloth.

"Cleaning!" Came Demyx's sing song voice. "You got lots of blood all over your face! Good thing that gash is gone now!"

Kenji felt helpless there. He wouldn't dare bite the hand of his Remnant.

It wasn't long before he was once again shoved under water and once again they held him till he thought he was going to die.

Then they pulled him out of the pool, sputtering and coughing up soapy water.

"Oh snap." Roxas laughed. "We left his clothes on."

"Oh let's fix that!" Axel's voice cheered.

"WHAT!?" Kenji screamed.

Before he could do anything for himself they all pounced on him like starving tigers to their prey. The tore of his shirt, pants, peeled off his chain necklace and to his horror, his boxer shorts.

Kenji let out a squeal of embarrassment and terror as Axel held them up. "Boxers or briefs? Oh, I'd have to say boxers here! So cute dear Kenji! Little skulls?"

"I will kill you next time I get the chance!!" Kenji snarled but was silenced in his rage when a dry towel was thrown to him. He desperately wrapped himself up, all dignity and pride now left behind in the swirling, bubbly water.

They held his clothes up. He was disappointed to find that the crash had left his favorite shirt torn. It'll take him forever to get another one like that...

Koji sighed. "You were in such a mess. Takashi's got some clothes for you in that room over there. Go change and meet us upstairs 'kay?"

Kenji could only mumble a sad sound as he made his way to the room. He closed the door behind him and locked it just in case they came in after him for another freak reason.

The room was okay. A small bench and a wall that acted like a mirror. He kept his head down sadly as he gathered up the clothes Takashi had set for him.

He turned his nose up in disgust at them. For starts, there was a white T-shirt with a blue dragon weaving in and out on the front. There was also a white zip up jacket, the pocket opening lined with a grayish, light blue as well as the hood and the same colored of line went down each side. There were white sweats that had the same blue line running down each side to match the jacket. Kenji didn't even want to glance at the tennis shoes that were of the same colors.

Reluctantly he put all his clothes on. He felt out of his element and while tying his shoes he came up with many plans to get Koji, to get _**all **_of them,back. Deciding on a plan that _wouldn't_ kill them he stood up straight and inspected himself in the mirror.

A jolt of fear passed through him as he begged for it to be a dream. It couldn't be! No way possible!!

Kenji let out a scream of terror that he was sure, everyone in the world would hear... and everyone should hear.

Koji was going to pay for this in _**blood**_.


	30. Chapter 30: The Real Hero

Chapter Thirty: The Real Hero

Kenji sat on the couch, angrily fingering his hair. Takashi had left to go pick up his nephew from school and they were left to just chill.

...But Kenji wasn't in the mood to _chill_ anymore. He was so terribly upset. How broke they were at the moment, no way to even read the Kanji labeled anywhere, and Takashi was all _for_ what they had done to him. He said he _liked_ the name Shadow. Why do this? Some sick twisted irony in his name? Was that why?

The evil words of that twisted scientist played in his head.

_"Yeah, that's the other thing. Not only does it cure you and get rid of Remnant DNA, but it also removed foreign things as well! This would include spray tans, fingernail polish, tattoos..."_

...Hair dye. Kenji shut his eyes, trying to remove the image of himself in that mirror. White. He was completely white now. His clothes, skin, hair... everything but his eyes which continued to be the deep shades of pink and red hues like it always had been.

Takashi had done this to him on _purpose_.

He would not go out and buy him a new bottle of dye. There was no eyeliner in which he could use to keep up his punk/goth trend. Not even a black T-shirt was around.

That's why Koji had forced that bath on him. He wanted to make sure all make up and hair dye was washed out.

He honestly thought that if that midday sun was to come through the window at _just _the right angle, he would blind everyone with how bright of white he was. He didn't know whether or not he should feel like a high respected preacher... or a feared, horrid ghost.

"Cheer up!" A familiar voice chirped, forcing him to open his eyes.

"I don't have much cheer to go up Koji..." He growled.

Koji pat him on the back. "You look great! Come on! It's better than scaring everyone off. Back home, half the kids at school thought you were a vampire."

"At least I didn't wear red." Kenji mumbled, referring to Koji's shirt he was currently wearing.

Koji pulled at the shirt to get a better view. "Oh this? I found it. I think it looks great on me."

"Koji, in Japan, red is a girl's color."

His brother's face paled. "I'll uh, I'll go find another shirt..." He muttered quickly and ran off.

"Guess who's back!" Cheered an annoying voice.

"Oh Takashi!" Kenji smirked. "We were just talking about the car crash we were hoping you got in."

"Very funny Shadow..." Takashi grinned. "Now I want you to meet my nephew!" He stepped aside and let a very familiar face walk in. As usual, he was dressed like one of those slim shady fans and just bopped in. His smile grew almost to the point where it would split his face in two when he saw Kenji.

"Well, well, well, Shadow. What happened? Get _blessed_ today or something?"

Kenji jerked up from his seat. "Shut up Zeek!" He snarled.

"I prefer Abyss thank you. Unlike girls like you, I kept my Tamer name."

"It isn't a Tamer name you moron, it's a tag the CT gave you."

"Says the white saint!" Abyss shot.

"Coming from the ballerina!" Kenji shot back.

Dark memories from Koji's first taste of Tamer powers filled Abyss's head. "Say what you want but just remember I kicked your a--!"

Takashi grabbed his nephew's mouth. "I still got to work on his language problems."

Koji collapsed in front of Kenji. "Why is everyone I know have some kind of connection with somebody else from another continent?"

"Better not plan your next trip to New Zealand then." Kenji chuckled.

"If he wants to live that is..." Demyx added, glaring at Kenji.

Kenji shrugged. "Pfft, so I had a few bad run-ins... So?"

"Shadow? May I speak with you privately?" Takashi asked.

"Um... okay then..." He rose from the chair.

Takashi shook his head. "Alone Shadow. Leave Demyx here."

Kenji didn't want to at first, but decided Demyx could fend for himself if needed and left him with Koji. With a shrug, he followed Takashi away from the lounge. Takashi led them up a few stairs and he soon found himself in a lab. The whole upstairs had no walls and was one big landing with everything a scientist of whatever he does could dream of.

"Okay, I'm here. What do you need?"

"Shadow, we need to talk... about Dark."

"Okay... and?"

Takashi growled. "Shadow, I need you to understand the seriousness of this. You know how powerful Dark was when Koji faced him right?"

Kenji nodded. He did remember. He was shocked when Koji told him the story when he got back. He couldn't believe it but it was true. All of the CT was free."

"So," Takashi continued, "You used to be one of his underlings, you would understand what he holds within the darkness."

"Of course."

"Now listen Shadow, he is still alive, I'm not sure about how well he is but one fact is that he's good enough to meddle with the affairs of other worlds. He is a piece of the Between Realm now and that place holds a piece of every world and realm in existence. If he finds the Between Realm's core, he could take control of everything. Things could change to whatever he wills."

Kenji stared silently. "Well, not anything... right?" He asked with a sly grin.

"Erm... well no, but pretty close. If he wanted to, he could do small things... and big things... to put things in perspective for you, in a blink of an eye he could switch you and Koji's bodies if he felt it necessary. It happens so fast you wouldn't see it coming and next thing you know, you're stuck with his _chores..._"

Kenji gasped. "His chores! No! I don't wanna be Koji!!"

A small grin played with the corner of Takashi's mouth but it didn't come out. "This would be nothing but a _minor_ thing of course..."

"We got to do something!" Kenji burst. Then he realized the small fault in his little idea. "Wait, why talk to me? Koji would be the better one to talk to. He's the hero of this whole thing."

"What made you think that?" Asked Takashi, confused.

Kenji shrugged. "I guess you haven't been around long enough to notice. Everywhere it was Koji this and Koji that. Koji defeated Dark, Eclipse wanted Koji leader, the CT was worried about Koji, Tara loves Koji, Zeek wants to pound Koji, Koji is the most powerful Tamer, blah, blah, blah..."

"Does this upset you?"

Kenji raised his head slightly for a moment, seemingly looking at something interesting on the curved ceiling. "No. It doesn't." He shook his head "But why talk to me? Koji would be better to talk to."

Takashi sighed. "In some ways he would be better to talk to. He takes things more seriously and doesn't get side tracked. He doesn't spend his time thinking up evil prank schemes when he should be thinking plans and he's got a great sense of justice. Plus, He thinks before acting. But unlike what you said everyone thinks, Koji _**is not**_ the most powerful Tamer. Sure, he's got the strongest bond with his Remnants and that gives his sword a sharp edge, but nothing more."

"Well then who is the strongest Tamer? I betcha Koji would kick his behind all the way to Australia in three seconds and prove you're wrong!" Kenji laughed.

Takashi took his glasses off and cleaned them with his coat, as if he was purposefully drawing out the suspense. He then placed them back on and let out another long sigh.

"The strongest Tamer in the world is standing right in front of me."

Kenji stared. "You're joking right?" He then burst into uncontrollable laughter. "Ha! You had me going there! Ha! Me? That's a good one!"

"I'm serious." Takashi said flatly.

"Suuure you are." Kenji sniffed, getting his laughing fit under control.

"No, I am. You can do more than any normal Tamer can do."

"Pfft, yeah right. What I do is a few magic tricks and stuff. Demyx changing to his Nobody form without me is just a small thing, and the half and half, I've only done that twice..."

"But you have!" Takashi groaned. "Can't you see!? Shadow, you've broken Tamer rules! This was never supposed to happen! I don't know how or why, but you have the potential to break every bloody rule in that book of yours! You can do more than any Tamer could ever dream! Your power is limitless!"

Kenji mouth dropped. "But... but I'm _nobody_! Koji's the hero, not me! And that Remnant Dust! He can do just as much as me!"

"No he can't, and will you stop referring to him as a hero? Who was it that brought him to Dark!? Who guided him through the Between Realm!? Who stopped my nephew from killing him not once but twice!? Remnant Dust only goes so far. He can't do anything now, it's a temporary Between Realm power booster nothing more. It's not as magical as Eclipse made it out to be. As far as I can see, _you're_ the hero."

"But I'm... I can't... I'm just..."

Takashi pinned Kenji's lips shut with his fingers. "You're _just_... the most powerful Tamer in existence. If more Remnants were to ever come, none of those Tamers would be like you, or the next set of Tamers, or the next set of Tamers. You are, and will always be, the Tamer who broke the rules to Remnant and Tamer life itself."

"No kidding..?" Kenji whined between pinched lips, his voice slightly muffled.

"No kidding. If you were to reach out and actually put yourself to it, your powers could exceed Dark's. Koji isn't capable of pulling that off. You can't let Dark find the Between Realm core. If he finds that there is no hope in ever beating him. He could strip you of your powers easily and mold you into whatever he pleases. He would hold power over _reality_, Shadow. He needs to be stopped and only you can do this. Not me, not Eclipse or Star, not Tara and _especially_ not Koji. _**You.**_"

Kenji slowly backed away till Takashi's fingers slipped from his lips. "O-okay..."

Takashi nodded and smiled. "So, in a few days, I'll have a portal open to the Between Realm. Leave the responsibility stuff to Koji, the fighting must be up to you."

"Koji's gunna want to fight too."

"And let him, he can help. Just don't rely on Koji to finish."

Kenji nodded. He couldn't believe he was doing this...

Takashi put his hand on Kenji's shoulder. "Now go have some lunch or something. If you want to, order out. The Remnants were designed to speak a lot of the languages of the world."

Kenji turned to leave but stopped and looked back. "Are you still answering questions?"

Takashi grinned. "I can do one more..."

"Did you _create_ the Remnants?"

Takashi took his glasses of and started cleaning them again. "No, I work under someone else."

"Who do you work for?"

"Ah! I said I can do _one_ more question. That will have to wait for later. Now go eat lunch, you're as skinny as a sad little emo boy."

Kenji chuckled and started down the stairs.

"Oh Shadow!"

Kenji stopped. "Yeah?"

"Not a word about our conversation to any one else. I'd rather they find out when I feel as if the time is right."

"Kinda like me finding out your employer?"

"Yes. Like that."

Kenji smiled. "I promise."


	31. Chapter 31: The Shadow of Revenge

Chapter Thirty One: The Shadow of Revenge

It was the second day being stuck in this house of doom. As if rooming with that killer, Abyss, wasn't enough, he had to spend his time suffering. They did all they did to him on day one and they refused to help him get back to normal.

Pain and humiliation needed to be dealt... _**especially**_ to Takashi.

...And that's exactly what he was going to make of his day.

"You called?" Kenji called into the lab with a smirk.

Takashi looked up from one of his projects. "Yes I did. What took you so long?"

Kenji considered telling him about his revenge that Koji was now going through. Then again, Takashi probably didn't want to know that Koji was locked in the shower with over a million frogs...

"Nothing. Just had some unfinished business." He answered with a grin.

Takashi stared at him, probably contemplating the hidden meaning in his words. Then he sighed. "Come here. I have more to talk to you about."

"Oh, I've been wanting to talk too!" Said Kenji mischievously. He walked a crossed the lab towards Takashi, fingering a bottle behind his back.

--

Abyss lay lounging on the couch, watching TV. It was so sickening how his parents forced him to live with his uncle. Just because he had 'ran away.' So what? Parents just didn't understand.

He let out an angry sigh and flipped the channel. At least his uncle had an interest in Kenji. Abyss chuckled, thinking about all the experiments he was going to pull on him. Kenji seemed to be quite interesting to him all together. Maybe because he was white and freaky like that. It certainly wasn't anything dealing with Tamer stuff, otherwise he would be involved right? He was the first to get anything from his uncle. All those tests he'd run... revenge is sweet...

A knock at the door tore him away from his beloved TV. Abyss tried to ignore it but the knocks soon turned into pounding. Abyss growled.

"Someone's at the door! Uncle Takashi! Door!" He slammed the remote down angrily. His stupid uncle should have been done with Kenji hours ago. "Fine! I'll get it then! I'm gunna claim child abuse though!!"

He furiously yanked the door open glaring at the one who cause him to miss his show. "What do you want!?"

A girl pulled down her hood. "I'm sorry, is Koji here?"

"No!" He snarled and threw the door shut.

To his frustration, she placed her foot in the way so the door could not shut. "Oh, but he must. You see, he could only be here considering Mr. Takashi's connections. I'm afraid Kenji brought him here and I need to have... a 'talk'... with them."

Abyss raised an eyebrow. "Oh, a '_talk._'" He liked her already. "I think we can pencil something in. Right this way miss."

--

Kenji walked down the hall, whistling a cheerful tune. He chucked the empty bottle in a trash can and continued down the hall, dragging a gagged Takashi tied to a rolling chair.

"Tsk, tsk, my friend. Of all these years of science I thought you knew never to play with fire. Oh wait! That's what you do! Well I guess you guys get burned once in a while. I like to think of it as a well learned mistake, don't you?"

He turned around to look at his now pink haired victim, who replied with muffled yells. Kenji turned back around and started humming, now clearly the tune to Caramelldansen.

"Well, the learning usually starts after you get burned so let's continue burning shall we?"

More muffled yells.

Kenji stopped. "Yeah, your right. You can't give shots to fire and take away all it's marvelous and stunning style, it's pride and dignity."

Takashi remained silent.

Kenji leaned in close, so that his lips were almost touching his ear. "But I _can_ burn. Just in a more horrifying way..."

Then he jerked away and started dragging him away again, humming his special tune.

Ahead, Koji had just finally made it out of the bathroom. He was now slowly creeping out.

Without slowing his pace, Kenji grabbed Koji by his forehead and shoved him back in, quickly shutting and locking the door behind him with one smooth hand motion.

Then he was off again, pulling on the white rope of doom.

He stopped when he saw a very familiar face in front of him.

"Oh! Why hello Tara. What brings you here?" He asked, devilishly cheerful.

Tara took no notice in Takashi. "I have every reason to beat you senseless right now!" She snarled.

"Some one's got a bit of a temper..." He said with a small melody.

"You dragged Koji to Japan! I have every reason to be mad!" She yelled.

"Pfft. Koji's having fun. In fact he's having a splash in the bathroom right now."

Her eyes widened when she heard this. "Where is he!? Tell me!!"

"The... bathroom?" Kenji said slowly. "I think I made myself clear."

Tara shoved her way past him and ran down the hall to her beloved Koji.

Kenji laughed and started down the hall once more. "Now where were we, my lovely victim of revenge?" He came to the stairs and looked down.

"Hm... didn't think this through..." He muttered.

"Hm!?" Takashi yelled through the gag.

Kenji didn't want the guy dying on him before he finished his fun so he took the liberty of rolling him down carefully. And just for kicks, shoved him down the last four steps. Then he went right back up and dragged him to the second room of the first floor.

The pool. Kenji dragged him in, untied him and thrust him a crossed the pool by his lab coat. Takashi screamed all the way until he hit the water.

Kenji then turned around, locked the door on his way out and went back upstairs. He was feeling in the mood for a nap.

He walked down the hall, now whistling the Hampster Dance when he rounded the corner and saw it. He quickly jumped back behind the corner and held a hand over his mouth. He _**knew**_ it!

He peeped back around the corner and saw it again.

Koji and Tara were melted into each other's arms, deep within a romantic kiss.

Kenji slide back over and started laughing silently. He knew those two would get together. She was perfect for him. Demanding, rude, mean, tree hugger type of girl...

Kenji walked away. Okay, maybe not tree hugger but she'd be the type that would get into it. But for now the two lovebirds needed their space. Maybe for another kiss? Oooh, maybe he should've stayed and spied...

He shook his head. Nah, he could be a bit considerate for once in his life right?

He walked into his room to find a full sized Demyx sitting on his bed, almost in tears.

"What's wrong Dem?"

He sniffed loudly. "Y-your not going sniff going to get b-back at me are you?"

Kenji laughed. "Of course not! You're my Remnant! Even if you are a backstabbing traitor! Besides, you'd probably cry, and you know I can't stand to see people cry."

Demyx nodded slowly. "O-okay... sniff"

Kenji threw himself backwards onto his bed, crossing his arms behind his head.

After a long moment of silence and sniffles Kenji finally chuckled, "I think that went rather well..."

Demyx stared at him. "But... But you were so mean!"

Kenji waved the words away with a flick of his wrist. "Nah... I'm just _convincing_ them to go out and get a few things to help... _restore_ me to my former glory." He said thoughtfully, making it sound like it was the only _reasonable_ thing to do.

"But the pool? Will it wash out?"

Kenji started laughing hysterically. "Oh, no! His skin will be blue for weeks on end! As an added bonus I died his hair pink! Let's him see how it feels to have your style stolen from you!"

"Did you do that to Koji?" Demyx asked.

Kenji shook his head. "No, that's a bit harsh don't you think?"

Demyx stared at him with a confused look plastered on his face.

"I mean, he's my brother! Right?" Kenji reasoned.

Suddenly the door flung open. A very angry Takashi glared down at Kenji with tickle-me-pink hair and light bluish green skin.

"Aw..." Kenji whined. "I didn't put enough of that stuff in the pool..."

"Shadow...!" He growled.

"Yeees?" He practically sang.


	32. Chapter 32: Inside Every Fanfiction

Chapter Thirty Two: Inside Every Fanfiction

"I think it's ready." Takashi mumbled to himself, checking pointless things on this roundish machine.

Kenji raised an eyebrow. "You know, I could get there without this gizmo…"

Takashi looked at him with horror. "Yeah, _**you**_ could. I'm shocked you didn't _**kill**_ Koji taking him there indirectly like that!"

Kenji rubbed the back of his head. "Well I thought it was pretty direct…"

Takashi narrowed his eyes. "Those little rips in the dimensional weave is never direct." He caught the look of fear on Koji's face. "But you're okay now right?" He added optimistically.

Kenji sighed and rolled his eyes. "Look Dr. I-Like-Pain, is this going to take forever? I could be catching up on homework."

"Homework?" Koji asked.

"Yes, homework. It's stuff that if I was home, I would be doing. You know, watching TV, killing time… out pranking Winter…"

Kenji saw Koji shudder. Ever since that one day where she found Kenji had gotten Koji before her it's been an all out contest to see who was better. Fun for Kenji, horror for Koji. So far, Kenji was in the lead with over a hundred points.

"Well there will be none of this 'homework' if Dark gets to that core! Do anything possible to stop him from gaining control of it!" Takashi pointed out angrily. "This is a serious mission and I don't think you are realizing this!"

"We'll get it done! Because I rule! No one can out match my charmingly great skills!"

"Help!" Tara yelled, holding her throat. "His ego… it's crushing me!"

"Oh, you know you want me!" Kenji grinned. "You like it when I'm that close."

Tara immediately stopped. "Any more comments and I may have to bash your head in!"

Kenji let out a sexy growl.

Koji smacked him. "Stop that!"

"Oho! You want her too!"

"Stop!" Takashi yelled. "You guys try to pull your self together and at least _pretend _you aren't teenagers!? Now I must warn you, Remnants can't pass through. Their molecular structure is too unstable and will collapse."

"What!?" Koji exclaimed. "But they were in last time!"

"This isn't Shadow's death trap this time! I'm surprised none of you died… or worse!"

"But we can't leave them behind! We just can't!"

"Koji, this isn't a stupid fanfiction or something! Organization XIII does not have to be involved with everything!"

Kenji let out a snort. "If this was a fanfiction, Koji would be labeled a Mary-Sue."

Tara flung a flask at him, which he dodge and shattered against the wall. "No he wouldn't! He would be a brave hero for taking down the Celestial Trainer freaks like you! And besides, even if he was, that would be called a Marty-Stu!"

Kenji laughed. "Nope, Mary-Sue because he such a wuss anyways." He stared at Tara evilly. "Guess that makes you lez…"

Tara lunged at him, but was caught by Koji. "Hey now! Let's not fight! Kenji doesn't mean that, do you Kenji?"

"Heck yeah I mean it!" Kenji snorted.

Tara struggled to get a punch at him.

"Pay attention!!" Takashi screamed. "Dangit you guys! Calm down! I need these two to get in there in one piece!"

Tara stood back and growled. "Why send some one as irresponsible as Kenji in there? I could take his place easily."

Takashi ignored her questions, resuming his place behind the control panel. "Okay you guys. Are you ready to go in? I'm opening the portal now."

Right as he finished the doors slide open, revealing a purplish, black swirling barrier thing. It reminded Kenji like a bubble, leading into the foggy waters of the unknown. It also rang another spring of recognition.

Kenji laughed. "Okay! I'm going ghost!" He yelled and flung his hands up in the air.

Takashi glared and Tara shook her head, letting it fall into her hands with a sigh. "Like I said, I'll take his place."

Koji laughed weakly. "Well, the bright side is I got some comic relief… right? Right?"

Kenji laughed. "Aw… you guys are so dull!"

Koji groaned and pushed him foreword. "Let's go Kenji…"

Kenji pushed his brother off of him and marched into the portal, after saying, "Five minutes, tops, and Dark will be done."

He was engulfed by a cold sensation and then he felt the familiar senses of the Between Realm. He opened his eyes and found himself on the familiar purplish, slate colored ground, with the familiar half made and withered trees here and there. He opened his arms wide and took an intake of breath. How it brought back memories, the familiar sense of it's being…

But it wasn't that familiar. He immediately picked up the sense of something wrong, a disturbance.

He let his arms flop to his sides. He had lived here for three long years, slowly gaining a connection with this realm none of the others could acquire. He gave time to the place, feeling it. The others locked themselves up inside, only interested on orders, orders, orders. Kenji let himself out and the realm in. He could feel the shape, the rips, the movements and existence. It had been his friend to go to when Star rejected him repeatedly…

Now the air was tense, everything tense. Converging… He could feel the Nightmares oddly migrating, the shadows shifting to one direction, life pulling itself to a center… even the trees seemed to bend to it, 'the calling' as it seemed.

Koji came up beside them. "Ugh! I--!"

Kenji shushed him. "Shut up!" He growled. He held up his hands and listened. "Something's not right…"

"Well I wonder what's causing that!" Koji said sarcastically.

Kenji frowned. "Well I don't like it. Everything that we are trying to avoid is probably going to show up at our destination…"

"What makes you think that?" Asked Koji, confused.

Kenji looked in the direction where the realm wanted to gather. "Because where we want to go is probably where everything else is going."

Koji laughed. "Oh? And why's that?"

Kenji grinned, his fangs showing clearly. "Because, that's how it is in every fanfiction." He joked.


	33. Chapter 33: Closer to the Center

Chapter Thirty Three: Closer to the Center

"Sinking, falling, deep into the endless abyss that will humanity's grave..." Kenji droned on in a dark tone. "Forever to be concealed in it's darkness..."

"Shut up Kenji." Koji growled. "I'm already having enough problems trying to find a way to actually _kill_ this guy."

"But their fate is sealed. To die forever in evil's clutches, deep agony and anguish awaiting them..."

"Shut up!"

"No hope, not a glimmer of the smallest light, all man kind lost to the dark 'reality bender' who will suck their souls dry of happiness."

"I said, SHUT U--!"

Kenji quickly covered his brother's mouth shushing him. "Never fear! Amazing Super Coolness Man and his side kick brother, Disposable Boy, are here to save the day!"

Koji glared at him and slowly removed Kenji's hand. "...What...?"

"Quick Disposable Boy! To the Pwnage Mobile!" Kenji shouted. "Evil is afoot!"

Koji pushed his now laughing brother away. "You freak! Can't you take this seriously!?"

"Would you like Frog Boy better?"

A quick red flush passed over Koji's face. "Wha--? No! I'm _just_ Koji and you are _just_ Kenji!"

Kenji climbed to the top of the dune and looked over the desert that stretched ahead, rolling like an ocean of sand. The huge moon took up a lot of the sky and seemed to be planted in the direction they were headed. The climate had randomly changed a few hours ago and left them in the middle of the desert. Though they were lost for their way back, the magnetic pull on him still remained. The pull that was summoning everything living thing apart of the Between Realm.

He laughed out loud to himself. Did that mean he now belonged to the Between Realm as well? Maybe, he was no different than any Nightmare or Wisp that mindlessly patrolled the endless landscape. No meaning... No existence...

Kenji turned around to see that Koji had made himself comfortable and was now sprawled out in the sand.

"What are you doing? We have to keep moving!"

Koji looked up at him with tired eyes. "But I'm so tired! Can't we take a break?"

Kenji stuck his tongue. "Can't. I'm being _serious_." He then let out a laugh.

"Well, I'm staying." His brother pouted. "You can't make me."

"Aw... just a little longer? Please?" He begged.

"No."

"Pleeeeease?"

"I said no!"

"PLEEEZUH?"

"Fine! Fine! I'll do it!" He yelled, getting up. "Just a little longer, geeze. You know the closer we get the more chances we have of Dark sneaking up on us while we sleep right?"

Kenji smirked. "Oh, I have a pretty good idea where he is."

Koji glared at him, climbing the dune to reach him. "Oh? And how so Mr. Psychic?"

"Just an idea." He lied. He slid down the other side and waited for Koji to meet him. Then Kenji flopped down and yawned.

"What are you doing!?"

"Taking a break!"

"But I-- you-- We--!" Koji hung his head. "Fine, we can take a break..."

"Yay!" Kenji yelled and flopped down into the sand.

Koji sighed. "I don't think I will _**ever**_ understand you." He sat down and glared at him. "I swear you do these things just to make things harder for me..."

Kenji snickered and laid back into the sand. "We'll take a nap and then we will go off tomorrow. Sound good?"

"Yeah, but shouldn't we keep watch?"

"Nope." Kenji yawned. "Everything is occupied right now."

"I hate how cryptic you are!" Koji growled. "Just tell me what the heck we are doing! Where exactly are we going!?"

Kenji grinned wildly. "We're going _crazy_..."

Suddenly, Kenji got up and looked around. Koji fell foreword for he was about to grab him.

"Kenji!"

"Shh!" Kenji shushed. "Do you hear that?"

Koji stopped. "...I don't hear anything."

Kenji looked at him like he was the most pitiful thing on the planet. "How many movies have you seen?"

"Plenty! You point?"

"And every time someone asks that and the reply is nothing, is that a good sign or bad?"

Koji gave him a confused look. "That means you're crazy... wait... I don't hear anything! Nothing at all!"

Kenji shook his head. "That's what I'm getting at! Even in the Between Realm there are sounds that fell away from other worlds..." he looked towards the direction of the moon.

The pull... had stopped...

Kenji started trudging up the next dune and looked at the scene before him. The desert had flattened out and went far beyond the human eye. There he saw that millions of monsters had gathered and seemed to form a line that only on close inspection told him they had formed a huge circle with the other side unseen. The circle was maybe five meters thick if them...

"What's this?" Asked Koji, coming up beside him.

"Seems like every living thing has come here." Kenji answered. "And that means a lot considering the Between Realm is near endless..."

He slid down this dune and started towards the circle. Koji followed after him.

"Hey wait! Isn't this a bit dangerous!?"

Kenji waved his question away. "Nah, let's investigate! You can never find out with out diving in head first!"

"Yeah, but if that pool you're diving in isn't full of water you'll break your head open..." Koji grumbled.

"What was that?"

"Nothing!" Koji quickly cleaned up. "Nothing at all!"

Kenji pushed Koji in front of him. "Nothing at all? Why then, _you_ go first."

"_Me_!? But--!"

"But it's no problem Kenji! Nothing at all really!" Kenji laughed. "Gasp! Why thank you Koji! You're so nice!" He then shoved Koji into the group.

"AH!!" He screamed and covered his face.

Kenji rolled his eyes. "Koji... Just move."

Koji peered out from behind his arms. "Why aren't they moving?"

He shrugged. "I don't know." He walked up behind a squat, wingless dragon looking one and shoved it. The Nightmare stumbled and let out a fierce growl. Kenji jumped back but it only resumed it's position and continued to stared foreword like the rest.

"That was stupid of you."

"It's called scientific explanation Koji! I am exploring science! Can't you be supportive of my needs!?"  
Koji shook his head. "Come on. Let's just keep moving. This place is giving me the creeps!"

Kenji laughed and followed Koji. "Aw... don't you wanna play with me?"

Koji groaned but continued to maneuver through the crowd. "Playing with you means death."

"Hey! Have I ever le--" Kenji stopped. There was this odd ringing sound that drifted through the open air. How come he hadn't heard it till now? For some odd reason he couldn't sense the origin but it had a musical tone to it and it was relaxing. He felt his strength drift away and his eyes grow heavy. Maybe he could just...

"KENJI!!" Koji screamed, shaking him vigorously. "I'm talking to you!!"

"Wha--? Hey! Let go!" Kenji bat his brother's hands away.

Koji looked up at him worriedly. "Are you okay? You seemed to have lost it there for a second. It was almost like you were going to end up like all these monsters here." He laughed. "Like that could happen though!"

Kenji laughed nervously. "Heh, heh... Yeah. Let's just get out of here."

"Agreed." Koji answered, not picking up on his rushed tone of voice. "I don't like it either."

Kenji quickened his pace and rushed ahead of Koji. He needed to get out of this ring. The musical sound was still trying to glue him down.

"Hey! Wait up!" Koji yelled after him. "What's the rush?"

"Do you hear anything?"

"Nothing. Isn't that the point?"

Kenji scowled. "Yes Koji. That's the point."

He pushed his way out and the sound stopped. He looked ahead of him, trying to figure out what was at the center.

"See something?"

"No." Kenji replied. "But... we will soon!" Kenji laughed. "That's where we are heading after all."

Koji groaned. "Let's just get this over with okay? I'm tired of saving the world."

Kenji smirked. "Oh, I'm glad I don't have your job!" He snickered, his words dripping with sarcasm.

Koji stared at him, probably trying to figure out what he was getting at. Then just shook his head and walked foreword. "You're so weird."

"You have _no_ idea."


	34. Chapter 34: Dark Takes Action

Chapter Thirty Four: Dark Takes Action

"Snap! I just tripped over a rock!"

"Ha! Nope! That was my foot!"

"Hey!"

"I'm testing your skizzils young Koji." He snickered.

"This isn't the time!" Koji groaned. "We are getting closer and closer to the battle of our lives and you want to fool around!" He kicked up some dust. "What if you were to hurt me really badly and we had to fight Dark? Huh? What then."

Kenji snickered. "Then I guess you're in some deep--"

Koji put a hand over his mouth. "None of that!"

Kenji sighed. They had been walking for a while and the terrain had slowly changed and yet remained the same in some ways. The sand had slowly turned to a harder, lavender colored dirt. The ground, however, was still flat. Against the dark navy blue sky, it was cool feeling colors and the moon seemed to hold a light purple as well. This was how it was in the night part of the Between Realms. There was no day and night sequence so certain parts were day and other places were night. All of which were scattered and blended together to make something sort of like tye-dye.

He stopped in his tracks and looked down at his feet. "Why, hellooo."

Koji then stopped as well. "What?"

Kenji knelt down to inspect the brightly colored flower. "What do we have here? A little misfit?" He reached out to feel for the positioning of the monsters. Right now they were directly in the middle of the ring.

"It's a flower Kenji." Koji growled. "A normal yellow flower. Can we continue?"

"Aw!" Kenji continued. "Are you the cause of all this ruckus? What a cute wittle--"

Suddenly the flower burst from the ground, growing till it towered over them. The stem quickly grew thorns and it's petals dimmed to a black. It opened up to reveal a deep purple tongue and a green ooze that dripped from each of it's sharp teeth that bordered each petal.

"UAGH!!" Kenji screamed and quickly ran behind Koji. "Kill it! Kill it!!"

Koji quickly pushed him away. "Don't hide behind me you idiot! You're the older brother!"

The now monstrous flower dove for them and they leapt away, Kenji squealing.

As the monster spit out the dirt and shook it's head vigorously. A dark laughter then rang through the air.

"It's laughing! It's possessed!" Kenji screamed.

The dirt soon turned to mud and the laughter came clearer and clearer.

Kenji lifted his feet in disgust. "Eww..."

Next to the flower the mud rose and formed a familiar being, which hardened a tiny bit to give it support. The mud man's laughing stopped and he grinned at them, his gums, and sharp teeth exposed. "Miss me?"

"It's Dark!" Koji exclaimed at the same time his brother started freaking out.

"SICK!! SIIIIICK! I'm _**stepping**_in him! My feet are _**inside**_ him! SIIIIIIICKKUH"

Dark took a long look at his ex-member. "Why Shadow, your all white."

Kenji shot him a glare. "Why Dark, your made of mud! You're dripping all over the place!"

Dark shook his head, as if he was sorry for them. "Tsk, tsk Shadow. I _am_ the Between Realm. Not just mud. I can be stone or even water if I wanted to. I owe it all to Koji, for now I can truly rule without the help of Kingdom Hearts."

"Aw! How touching! What do you think of this Koji?" He asked, looking over to his brother.

Koji's face went pale, almost to the point where it matched Kenji's skin. "I... uh..."

"How suh-weet! Now kiss and make up you two!"

Dark's grinned quickly turned to a scowl. "I'm done with jokes now." He lifted his hand and the mud quickly jumped up and grabbed their legs. "Time for business." He ignored Kenji's screams of disgust and sludged over to Koji, looking him in the eye. "I must admit, you are a worthy opponent. I was mad at first of what you did to me until I realized that by becoming apart of the Between Realm, I could control it's core. So as a gift of my gratitude I am willing to grant you one more chance to join me."

He leaned in closer. "We could work together, you and me."

Koji spit at him.

Dark didn't even flinch. He shook his head sadly and started back towards his flower. "You disappoint me Koji. We could've made a great team. Me, control over reality, and you, the strongest Tamer to live."

"Ehem!" Kenji coughed "Excuse me but you don't have reality control yet! And being that the Between Realm is pretty much infinite, how do expect to find a 'core.'"

Dark grinned. "Such small minds. The core is at the center of this realm's _being_! It's not anywhere truly physical to the point where you can mark it on a map. To reach it, I have gathered all of the beings of this realm together, an ability I find I can do now that I'm connected. This flower is the key to the core and will contain it's power as all the other beings in this realm tear it apart! With the realm's destroyed and the core exposed I will merge with it and rule!!"

Kenji cleaned an ear with a finger. "That was a long story. Why not just say, that first and last bit. I didn't want to know _how_ to get there."

Dark frowned. "Keep in mind I'm only keeping you alive so I can torture you later. If you keep on grinding at my nerves it will just get worse." He turned around and started petting the flower.

A howling sound sprang up from all around them. Kenji could feel the monsters in the ring give out everything they had, pouring themselves out into a powerful force that was shaking the very fabrics of this realm.

He knew he had to do something but there was nothing he could do stuck in the mud like this... or... was there? In dreams, if you doubted it happened so maybe it could apply with him. Maybe it applied with his Tamer rules...

He reached out and grabbed Koji's arm.

"What are you doing!?" Koji shouted out.

Kenji grinned. "Saving the world."

Koji's eyes drooped for a second and then he shook himself awake. "What did you just do?"

Kenji didn't respond. Instead he burst into spontaneous flames. He then kicked his legs out and broke the now hardened mud. "It's go time, kids!"

He jerked Koji free and threw his hands to the side, summoning Oblivion. "Let's get him!"

Koji stared in amazement at what was supposed to be what only he himself could do. "But how did you--?"

Kenji speed foreword and slashed at the monstrous flower.

The flower screeched in pain as a black ooze spilled a crossed the mud. To Kenji's disappointment, the flower simply grew back together.

"It's like me." Dark hummed hauntingly. "You can't stop me now."

"Aw, snap." Kenji grumbled and summoned a chakram. "Then how about this!"

He slashed Dark a crossed his side but the void was simply replaced by more mud.

Dark laughed. "Nice try!"

The air itself seemed to vibrate with the howls and it was growing stronger with each passing moment.

"Kenji!" Koji shouted out and grabbed his brother by the wrist and pulled him back. The ground ripped in half, separating the brothers from Dark.

Everything was shaking now and Kenji found himself thrown to the ground with the movement. He shut his eyes tight. Loud sounds of explosions were everywhere and rocks were flung around him. His head felt like it was being slit apart, it was screaming in pain. Everything around him was being shredded into bits, each rip ringing through his head.

He didn't know when it stopped. He simply realized that it had.

He cracked open his eyes and slowly got up. His whole body ached but that wasn't going to keep him down. He shook his head slowly to rid himself of the lingering pain and pushed himself off of his knees.

His eyes widened when he saw the scene before him.

"Oh, Shiznits..."


	35. Chapter 35: This is The End

Chapter Thirty Five: This is The End

Kenji took a long look around him. Everything was torn apart.

Debris floated everywhere in a space like void, torn stars and pieces of the ground they had once stood one spread out a crossed the place. He could clearly see a huge yellowish sun, huge and probably still light years away.

"Whoa..." He gasped. He felt nothing from this realm anymore. Except...

He noticed before him was a huge orb of energy, electricity and flames bursting from one point to another.

He looked around. "Koji? Koji? Where are you?" He ran to the edge of the piece of land he was on. "Koji!!"

"Kenji?" A voice called from off to the side.

He looked to find Koji on his own chunk of dirt, several meters away.

Kenji took a leap over to him, an easy task from the loss of gravity.

"Are you okay?" He asked, looking Koji over.

Koji pulled away. "Yeah, I'm fine. Where's Dark?"

Kenji shrugged. "I don't know but I have a good idea he's near the core." He pointed towards it.

"We got to stop him!"

Kenji snapped his fingers, sprouting white ears and a tail. "Don't mind if I steal a bit from your Remnant's do you?"

Koji gasped. "How do you do that!?"

Kenji smirked. "You know I never liked rules! Want some DNA help?"

His brother recoiled. "No!! I know exactly what you have planned!!"

Kenji snickered. "Aw... but I like Roxel. It'd be a good look for you!"

"No!! No, no, no, no, NO!!"

"Come on! You always have that shot! And I know you love shots!"

"Do not! I hate them! I just don't freak out like you do!"

"Fine then." Kenji stuck his tongue out and turned around. "Don't be a supportive brother. See if I care!"

Koji got up from where he was sitting. "Supporting you means torture!"

Kenji felt a jerk in his mind and spun around. "Oh, snap! Dark is trying to get into the core!"

He grabbed Koji and started leaping from one platform to the next. "You hit left I hit right!"

"Wait!" Koji shouted but Kenji pushed him away.

"Just keep balanced!"  
Kenji then averted his attention to his own path, quickly seeking out Dark's form and quickly jumping towards him.

Coming up to Dark he clenched his fist, forming a ball of fire around it. Then with a final push, he threw a punch.

Dark evaded with a smooth glide. "Well, well, well. Looks like the kitty wants to play..."

"Then let's play!" Kenji shot, pulling out two keyblades.

Dark turned around to find that Koji had entered the scene... a very _wobbly_ Koji.

"You really think you can beat me!?" Dark laughed loudly. "I rule this place!"

Kenji raised his weapons. _How can I end this? He's invincible!_ Kenji reached out a crossed the torn bits of the realm. Nothing to aid him... it was all torn up...

_Wait! Torn up!_ Kenji suddenly seeked out what he needed.

Kenji lunged towards Dark and he once again dodged. Kenji quickly passed by Koji, whispering his plan into his ear before taking another lung back to Dark. Another miss, yet, that's wasn't the point.

Koji quickly caught on and took a hit of his own, using chakrams.

Dark evaded that attack to and was apparently very amused with this game of cat and mouse.

"You seriously think you can win?" He laughed.

Kenji then took a big leap and kicked Dark as hard as he could in his chest. Dark was sent spiraling back but not before Kenji got there. He quickly grabbed at the air and it exploded with light as the dimensional rip was opened.

Dark, caught between, found himself engulfed in light and screamed out in pain.

"Got caught in the middle did ya?" Kenji asked mockingly. "You're going to get ripped up so bad even your atoms are going to be torn!"

Kenji watched as Dark slowly dissinagrated in the air. Then all seemed to implode on that spot. Then all was released and the energy burst, sending Kenji flying backwards.

Kenji hit a piece of rock behind him. "Ouch!" He cried out. "That hurts!"

"Is he... gone?" Koji asked. "Is he really gone this time? He's not going to come back again is he?"

Kenji shook his head. "Nope. He's gone." Kenji pushed off of the rock and dragged Koji with him, landing on another. "Since... you know... Dark broke up our pathway home I'm sure you won't mind _my_ way back?"

Koji's looked up at him fearfully. "But Takashi said you ways were dangerous!"

Kenji laughed. "Any other ideas then?"

"But it's still dangerous!"

"Pfft! Yeah whatever." Kenji watched as a hole of light appeared in front of them. "Let me in on a little secret. I know this world like no other and I can tell the bad ways from the good."

It was Koji's turn to laugh. "Oh yeah, sure! Just like that cookie incident eh?"

"That was different!" Kenji defended. "Just go!"

Koji stuck his hand in nervously. Then when satisfied it wouldn't mutate him or something, he stepped in and disappeared.

Kenji sighed. He was glad that was over...

But it wasn't.

Suddenly the whole realm shifted and Kenji found himself flung off his feet. He quickly realized everything was converging. The Between Realm was trying to repair itself and dragging everything back together where it should.

Kenji reached for his way back but couldn't as the realm quivered once again.

He was flung back and he turned to realize it was all over for him. He had so many close calls with death before but there was no cutting it this time. He was being pulled back to the core where he would end up just like Dark. Dead.

Kenji tried desperately to pull away but he knew it was too late. He was getting caught into the pull. As he drew nearer and near he could feel the heat of it burn.

Maybe...

Maybe this was finally the end.

The end for him... but at least not for existence...


	36. Chapter 36: When it's Over

Chapter Thirty Six: When it's Over

A blinding light surrounded him and he squeezed his eyes back shut, whimpering. He the opened them slowly and saw figures above him. Did he die? Was he in heaven?

"Nana?" He croaked.

A cruel laughter cut through his senses. "Nana? Omygosh, Kenji, you have a Nana?"

Kenji angrily threw a pillow at him. "Oh, and you don't Koji!?"

Takashi suddenly threw himself on him. "Oh Shadow! I'm glad you're okay! You nearly died! We found you lying out in the Between Realm on your death bed! Are you feeling okay? You're not hurt are you?"

"I'm fine..." He groaned, holding his head. "Just... shaken up a bit."

"The Between Realm repaired itself. I'm surprised it didn't devour you in the process. The core would've done something to the likes of 'digesting' you."

Kenji shook his head ache free. "I'm fine now. Honest."

Takashi eyed him. "Well, get some rest anyways. Let's go Koji." Takashi directed Koji out.

"Hey Takashi?" Kenji called before he left as well.

"Yes?"

Kenji looked down at his covers. "What if Dark, or someone like him, was to get pulled out of the Between Realm after getting control over reality?"

Takashi took his glasses off, something Kenji found he did when he was thinking, and then put them back on. "Well, they still would have control... But it would be restrained a bit without the infinity of the realm to aid them. But a reality bender nonetheless and he still would have great amounts of control."

Kenji nodded. "Okay."

"You don't need to worry about Dark anymore..."

"Oh, I'm not worried about him."

Takashi sighed and walked out. "Sleep well."

After he left Kenji inspected himself in the mirror a crossed the room. He then ran his hands slowly through his white hair, turning black as he passed it.

Then he lowered his hands and flexed one, studying the air bend and warp around it.

"It's you who should be worried." He chuckled. "'Reality Bender'... I like the sound of that..."

* * *

Takashi slowly crept into the large office, a file in his hands. A man stood by the window, looking into the city.

"So?" He asked, speaking in Japanese.

Takashi answered in the same language. "Well, the Tamers are on a plane and are on their way home right as we speak."

"And did you tell them about me?"

"No sir."

The man smiled. He turned to face Takashi, none other then Tetsuya Nomura. "I did tell the public, that I left so much out..."

He took the file from Takashi and flipped through it's contents. "... So that people can make what they want out of it, and make... their _own_ story."


	37. Author's Note

Author's Note: It's finally over! gasps and I now look at the beginning and hate it! Mary-Sueish Koji and all but I am proud how Kenji turned out...

Sorry about the ending. It was rushed and I just wanted to get the stupid thing out and over with. sigh oh well.

I may post new chapters, Little Bonus Chapters labeld BC. Short one chapters stories about little things.

I do have another story planned involving other fanfics and Kenji. Details on my profile.

I guess now it's time to say, thank you for reading! If you made it this far then you probably do have to be thank for putting up with the beginning (or the whole thing, depening on how you look at it.) and sorry for the time jumps. I didn't figure out how to make those lines till chapter 34.

So thanks for reading! I hope you liked it!


	38. BC1: The Game of Love

Bonus Chapter One: The Game of Love

Koji marched into the house, slamming the door closed behind him. "Argh!!"

Kenji looked up from his game, the noise just too irresistible to ignore. "Study date go wrong?" He asked demonically.

Koji glared. "Yes! Tara got mad at me and I don't know why! I just don't understand her sometimes!"

Kenji pushed the pause button and leaned over the back of the couch. "Why not just forget about her?"

"Because..." Koji groaned. "She's... different than the other girls..." He blushed a little. "Someone you can't just forget about."

Kenji sighed. He was kinda hoping... But he couldn't stand to see his brother in such emotional distress.

"Why not make it up to her?" Kenji asked.

"What?"

Kenji jumped over the couch and put an arm around his brother. "Okay, you go out and buy the best chocolates and flowers you can find!" He shoved a wad of cash into his brother's hands. "Roses are old school, but girls love them anyways. Trick to know? Girls like the old school wishy washy stuff. Don't get creative… unless you're proposing." He then shoved Koji out the door. "Come back by eight o' clock! No sooner, no later! Spend as much time as you can!"

With a slam of the door, his plan was set. Who said he couldn't use his genius to help people? Maybe it was a good turn...

"You have something planned don't you?" Demyx asked. "I can tell, your face spells doom."

"Not doom this time, my dear stupid friend. I'm going to help get Koji and Tara get together, and locked tight at that. I'm sick of hearing the ups and downs, and trust me... the downs are bad."

"But you hate Tara..."

"It's for Koji, not her! Now go be useful and make a beautiful love song! Report by eight!"

Kenji then ran up to his room and dug through his dresser. He pulled out a vile of pink liquid and grinned. "Come on my dear bomb. It's time for you to be used. I'm sure a _certain scientist_ won't mind. He never noticed you were gone... (In fact, it's one from chapter 18 D)

He ran back downstairs and began to set everything up. He only had a few hours...

He double, tripled and quadruple checked. He then quickly lit the candles.

Kenji sat back and looked over his masterpiece. The table was set up to the highest standard he could think of. A beautiful tablecloth on the table he had set up in the living room and he even looked up on the internet how to properly set up dishware and a good recipe. Desert was going to be fun, for he couldn't wait for the night to end so he could have what's left.

He was prepared to serve them all night, kind of like a butler. Tara had agreed to come and all was going as planned. Koji was to get home at eight, be shocked, dress up and wait for Tara who was to come at eight-thirty. Then they would have dinner, make up, have desert, kiss goodbye and it was all over and sealed.

Yup. He was a good boy...

He quickly slipped into the kitchen and poured the cider into two wine glasses. Then he took out his precious bottle and dumped it's contents into one of them. Smoke rose from it along with a cruel sizzling sound. Then it was quiet and the cider looked untouched.

"Would you like to try today's special Tara?" Kenji laughed. "_Love Potion_ is on the house, a treat from Eclipse..."

Kenji finished setting up the table when the doorbell rang. He looked up with confusion.

"It's only seven... who could that be?" He asked himself.

He walked into the living room and slowly cracked open the door. "Hello?"

Tara glared. "I'm here."

"But--! But you were supposed to be here at eight-thirty!"

"Look, you said Koji wanted me to come over so I'm here. Why does time matter?"

Kenji looked over at her casual wear. "And I asked you to look nice."

Tara gave him a 'you're mental' look. "I am nice, these are my good jeans!"

Kenji suppressed a scowl. _Everything is ruined!_ He thought angrily. _How am I supposed to keep things under control for __**one whole hour**__!?_

"Koji's running an errand right now..." He mumbled. "So... he's not here..."

Tara frowned. "Oh..." She said sadly. "Well, I guess I'll just chill out for a while..."

"NO!!" Kenji exclaimed as she pushed past him. He heard a gasp from Tara.

"Oh my! What is all this!? Is this... for me!? Did Koji do this?"

Kenji fought back disappointment. "The finest actually... I got connections... I helped out a bit." He shook his head. "It was supposed to be a surprise."

Tara looked back at him, tears welled up in her eyes. "Oh, I feel so bad for fighting with him today! He's just so sweet!"

"Yeah... He is..." Kenji nodded. "He'll be back soon. Don't worry."

She sat down in her seat and looked down at the floor sadly. "Okay."

Kenji rubbed his head nervously. "Yeah... go ahead and make yourself at home or something. I got to check on dessert..."

"You're making the food?" Tara asked, shocked.

"Why yes." Kenji's grin re-appeared from it's hiding place. "You'd never know, but I'm pretty good in the kitchen."

She nodded. "Okay."

Kenji slumped into the kitchen and let out a big sigh. Okay, so things weren't going as planned but the loss in points were easy to regain.

He was checking on the cake when Tara came in.

Kenji shut the oven door. "Yes?"

Tara just stared spacily, a small blush creeping across her face.

"Uh... Tara?" Kenji snapped his fingers.

She snapped out of it and shook her head. "Oh, I'm sorry. I was just wondering if you had anymore cider. It was really good."

Kenji felt a jolt of fear clench his stomach and he quickly snatched the glass from her hand. "You drank it already!?"

Tara took a step back. "I'm sorry, I was really thirsty and I kinda wanted to taste it. I guess I drank it all."

Kenji quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her over to his reach and felt her forehead. "Are you feeling okay? Dizzy? Sick?"

Tara's face grew red. "L... Love sick I guess..." She whispered.

Kenji gawked. "...What...?"

"Nothing." She quickly said, her face growing deeper in shade. "...Kenji...?" She whispered gently. "Can I ask you something?"

Kenji dropped her.

Tara hit the floor hard, for she had become entirely independent of his hold.

It was then Kenji knew. She had drunk the love potion and the first person she saw was _**him**_.

Tara was in love with him.

Kenji couldn't stop shaking. He had never had anyone love him, let alone even have a crush. To add even more to the pile, he always hated to see people in emotional pain. It _killed_ him even. How could he tell her no?

That was the problem. He couldn't.

Tara sat up. "Kenji..."

Kenji squat down to her level. "Come on Tara! Yell at me! Tell me what a dimwitted freak I am! Tell me I'm a moron or any of that other stuff I can't say! Tell me you HATE me!!"

Tara looked at him with horror. "I... said that stuff?" Then her eyes widened, as if finally remembering her hatred. Then she did the most un-Tara like thing ever.

She burst into tears and threw her arms around him. "Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry!" She sobbed. "I take it all back! I can't believe I said such hurtful things!!"

Kenji felt his heart sank, not only from disappointment, but from the fact this was his first time seeing her cry.

He instinctively wrapped his arms around her tightly, cooing gently words into her ear. "There, there. It's okay. Don't cry. Please don't cry..." He gently rubbed her back, doing all he could to comfort her.

After some time, she had quieted down and all that was left of her outburst was a few sniffs here and there.

Finally, Tara wiped her eyes and spoke.

"I'm sorry... I shouldn't have cried like that."

"No, it's alright." Kenji whispered gently. "People need to cry sometime."

She let go of him and sat back to look him in the eye. "You don't cry. It's almost as if you're untouched by sadness."

Kenji shook his head. "Nah, I've had my share of bad days. Especially when I had no home."

Tara blushed. "Can you promise me something?"

"What?"

"Promise me I'll never see you cry, okay?"

Kenji grinned his usual grin. "Oh, you don't have to worry about that."

Tara giggled. "You're so funny like that. I'm surprised... I never...noticed..." She leaned in and kissed him.

Kenji's eyes widened and he felt his reality bending powers flare, as if her warm lips had short circuited it. The light bulbs above them burned brighter with intensity until they suddenly shattered, spraying sparks upon them. Even with what to her would seem a super natural phenomenon, her kiss lasted long after the glass had settled.

She slowly lowered her head and rested her forehead on his chest. "Kenji... I love you so much..."

Kenji's heart raced with fear. He had to do something now and even if he could ask Eclipse for an antidote he'd probably get skinned alive first. He could _change reality_ in order to get her out of it...

He gently placed his hands on her back. He hoped he could do it, for he was still getting the hang of it and he never _**dared**_to try it on humans for fear he'd mess up.

He put his concentration into it the idea. He felt the air around his shift slightly at his efforts. He concentrated on draining all of the potion out of her, taking it away and all of it's effects.

He gasped for air and he let go. Did it work? He had never done something this big.

Tara looked up at him and seemed to stare at him a long time.

Kenji stared back and wait seemed hours before she said anything. One word that said it all.

"Pervert." She growled.

Kenji let out a sigh. So it worked.

She pushed him down before getting up herself. "You demented sicko!" She coughed. "When Koji hears about this--!"

"What about a few minutes before?" Kenji smirked. "You were all over me!"

Tara stared at him for a few minutes, as if asking herself the same question. "I was just testing you!" She finally concluded with a snort.

"Sure..." Kenji laughed, standing up. "You just tell yourself that but you know you want me." He teased.

Tara whacked him on the arm.

"Ow!"

"I bet Koji's going to be here any minute!" She groaned. "Tell me where the cider is! I need to refill this glass!"

"Garage..." Kenji moaned, rubbing his arm.

Tara grabbed his wrist and dragged him down the hall. "Show me where!"

Kenji smiled. Geeze, that girl had a temper but still managed to keep a kind of beauty to it. Like a rose almost. So beautiful and elegant but full of thorns that will hurt you if you don't handle it correctly. He was right to have Koji get roses for her. It suited her wonderfully. He bet she'd love them...

"Kenji?" Tara glared at him. "Geeze, I didn't know your face could be any color but white but I guess I was wrong."

"Hm?" Kenji hummed softly. "What do you mean?"

"Your face is red. Are you getting a fever?"

Kenji's eyes widened as he noticed the warm feeling on his cheeks. He was blushing.

Terror gripped him as he suddenly realized that he hadn't gotten rid of the potion. He had transferred it to himself...

Tara yanked his arm. "Stop fooling around! We have to get that Cider!" She snarled.

Kenji felt his cheeks grow hotter and one sentence spilled uncontrollably out of his mouth. His mind yelled for him to stop but his heart pushed it forward.

"You're so cute when you're angry!" He chirped.

If Kenji had been himself, he would have laughed hysterically at Tara's dumbfounded face. Unfortunately, he wasn't so he could only smile at how cute that made her look too.

"…Kenji..." Her tone was unreadable. "I've never seen you smile. Well, I have but you always look so evil. Now you just look..." She let go of his wrist and stepped back. "You're scaring me..."

"Aw... Come on Tara!" He giggled. "It's just me!"

Tara looked at him with concern. "Are you sick? There's probably medicine in the bathroom I could just--"

Kenji playfully grabbed her by the waist and pulled her in. She didn't even utter a small gasp, just went with it as if she wasn't sure what to do.

"You're just so beautiful." He murmured, caressing her cheek with a hand.

She took on a tint of red. "R--really? You think so?" She asked.

He drew in closer. "I know so." He slowly leaned in to kiss her. She gently came in to meet him. He could feel her warm breath as their lips almost touched...

Key word. Almost.

Kenji jerked away, silently cursing at himself. His heart screamed to him to finish, pounding at his chest. But he knew he couldn't. Tara was Koji's. He hated her. She hated him. It was how it went. He was being played with like a doll by the love potion and she was overturned because of his words and her emptiness where Koji needed to be. It couldn't be this way and he knew it.

It could never be.

"I'm sorry..." He croaked. "I can't... I just…" He turned to leave but was stopped when Tara grabbed his arm.

"Kenji wait…"

He stared into the ground, biting back his despair.

Tara slowly let go, making sure he didn't run off. "Listen, tonight has been really weird. I think this whole thing is throwing us off. Why don't we just get some rest and forget about everything that has happened okay?"

Kenji nodded slowly. "Sure, okay."

Tara started to leave but stopped. "Get some sleep alright?" She then walked out of view which was soon accompanied by the sound of the door.

Kenji sighed and cleaned up his whole set up, finishing up just as Koji got home.

He walked in, carrying a huge basket of roses and a heart shaped box. "I got them. What now?" He asked.

"Give them to her tomorrow at school." Kenji replied.

Koji's face took on a worried expression. "Are you okay? You don't look so good…"

"I'm fine." Kenji mumbled, waving his hand. "I'm just tired…" He left his brother downstairs and stumbled into his bedroom. It didn't take him long to realize there was something on the window sill.

He picked up the small bottle of green liquid and read the note attached.

"_Dear Kenji, figured you'd need this in case you're plan messes up. Koji complained to me and guessed today would be the day you'd use my potion…"_

Kenji took the lid off. So that stupid scientist had sent him an antidote? He shrugged and gulped it down, desperate to get back to his normal self and away from these… _feelings_…

He lay back on his bed as he suddenly became drowsy. He then drifted off to sleep.

The next day Kenji felt good as new. School went by normally, getting in trouble, another visit to the office and so on and so forth. Koji and Tara made up. The roses seemed to work though Kenji thought last night might of given her a wake up call on what she had.

Kenji was glad to be himself again and just to smear it in last night's face, he walked by and knocked Tara's books out of her hands. Papers flew everywhere and Kenji finished it off by sticking his tongue out and walking away.

She yelled angry words at him which he wouldn't repeat and told him how she hated him. He simply laughed and continued on his way to class.

Yup. Things were as they should be.

(A/N: This came out of nowhere really. Bored I guess. It had several different endings before I settled with this one... XP)


End file.
